Italian Almond Cookies
Step into Sicily's culinary heritage with this Italian almond cookie recipe. Rooted in an 80-year tradition these gluten-free delicacies offer a delightful contrast: a delicately crispy exterior and a tender, almond-infused center. This cherished recipe, adorned with flaked almonds or a dollop of your preferred jam, invites you on a flavorful journey through tradition and taste, embodying the essence of Sicilian richness and history in every bite.
- Prep time
- 14 min
- Cook time
- 31 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 300 grams Almond Meal (10.5oz. or freshly ground almonds)
- 360 grams Icing sugar (12.6oz)
- 30 grams Honey (1oz)
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Vanilla essence (or scraped vanilla bean)
- Lemon (Zest)
- Orange (Zest)
- 5 Egg Whites
- Sour cherries (or candied fruits)
- Almond Flakes
- Extra icing sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- 1
Mix the almond meal, icing sugar and honey into a large bowl.
- 2
Add the cinnamon and zest of both an orange and a lemon.
- 3
Combine using your hands, gently in one direction, then start to slowly pour in a portion of the egg whites.
- 4
Start with approximately 1/3, then mix, add a second portion of the egg whites, mix again then finally add the rest.
- 5
Continue to combine using your hands, squeezing down using your fingers and all of the dry ingredients will start to form into a dough.
- 6
Mix until it thickens and there are no dry ingredients left. This should then form into a dough ball.
- 7
Break off a small piece of dough and roll it into a ball, it should form easily and not crumble at all, this is how you know it’s ready.
- 8
Prepare a large flat baking tray lined with baking paper.
- 9
Pulling off small portions of the dough, create small balls by rolling it between the palms of your hand. If you wish to be precise, they should weigh 30g each.
- 10
There are several ways you can prepare the final biscotti, some options are:
- 11
Dip the ball into a bowl of water and then roll it in icing sugar. Using your index finger, press down gently on top then once baked, top with jam and crushed nuts.
- 12
Flatten the ball, place a sour cherry in the middle, wrap the dough back around it, roll it again.
- 13
Dip the ball into a mixture of egg white and icing sugar then cover it with flaked almonds and pinch it. You can even use the one you stuffed with the cherry!
- 14
Place all of your biscotti onto the baking tray, leaving the space of approx. 1 biscuit between each one.
- 15
Bake at 230°C/446°F for 6 minutes.
- 16
Remove from the oven and allow to cool before dusting with icing sugar.