Marabissi

Ricciarelli - almond cookies from Italy

Ricciarelli is a traditional pastry from Italy, more precisely from the province of Siena. It is reminiscent of marzipan, since it is made from almonds, sugar and egg whites. The cookies have a soft center inside.

The dough is often enriched with candied orange peel and vanilla flavoring and then cut into small lozenges and then placed on a baking sheet. The dough pops during baking and is sprinkled with powdered sugar.

It is said that the pastries were invented in the 14th century and date back to oriental origins. The knight Ricciardetto Della Gherardesca had the pastry molded after the ringed shoes of the Middle East, after returning from crusades to his castle in Volterra. 

The Ricciarelli almond biscuit goes well with a cup of coffee, of course.