Ricciarelli cookie recipe comes from Tuscany. They are melt in your mouth tender almond flavored cookies. Their beautiful white tops make a great addition to any cookie platter and they are gluten free.
Happy Hump Day!
You may be a mom. Maybe you’re not. But I’m guessing you had a mom, right? I’m a mom. And what’s generally known about moms must make dozens and dozens of holiday cookies.
Moms are also known to carry extra tissues and ‘gently” remind us to wipe our noses, to anticipating and quickly reacting to cars in front of us that abruptly put on their brakes, we throw our protective arm across the chest of our unsuspecting passenger ensuring our cubs will be protected from danger. My cubs laugh every time I do this, since the both are over 6’3″ and 200 pounds, as if my measly arm will save them, but instinct is instinct no matter how big the cub grows.
No matter how big my cubs grow, I still love to make them holiday cookies. I have several recipes from my Mom that I make every year, like Pecan Balls and Buckeyes, and I also have a few my Mother-n-law shared with me that her family brought back from Italy, like her Italian Pignoli Cookie and Anisette Italian Cookies.
This Ricciarelli cookie recipe is also an old traditional Italian cookie, created in Tuscany in the town of Siena. It is still traditionally given as a Christmas gift to friends and acquaintances.
This is a perfect recipe to get the kids involved, just a few ingredients, they have to use their hands and let’s face it, dusting cookies with powdered sugar is just plain fun!
Subscribe to my blog | Follow me on Bloglovin | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | Facebook
- 1 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoon almond flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar + more for dusting
- 1 1/2 teaspoon orange zest from organic orange
- 2 large egg whites at room temperature
- 1 3/4 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Pour almond flour, granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar and the orange zest in a medium bowl and toss together.
- In an electric mixer add egg whites and whip with whsk attachment on high until soft peaks start to form.
- Using a spatula gently fold in egg whites and stir gently to combine.
- Add in honey, almond extract, vanilla extract and mix until well blended. Should have a stiff and sticky consistency.
- Place remaining 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar in a small bowl.
- Pinch of dough and roll into 2 teaspoon size balls. Roll balls in confectioners sugar and place on cookie sheets. dividing balls on each baking sheet, about 12 each.
- You can then pinch the end of balls making the traditional diamond shape.
- Let cookies sit uncovered for 1-2 hours to firm up and dry out a little.
- Preheat oven to 325°. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time in the middle of oven for about 12 minutes, or until cookies begin to get tinged with golden brown around edges.
- Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely and then dust with additional confectioners sugar.
You might also like these Holiday Cookie Recipes:
Pecan Balls
Italian Pignoli Cookies
Anisette Italian Cookie
Superfood Peanut Butter Protein Breakfast Cookies
Paleo Orange Chicken Recipe
Gluten Free Gingersnaps
Chocolate Peppermint Truffle Bars {gluten free + vegan}
Ohhh those are some of my favorite cookies- Our neighbours back home were Italian and would serve that and Pannatone during Christmas time. The pannatone was always untouched!
I had to laugh because as soon as I became a mom, I started thinking I had to bake more cookies than I could count. Nothing wrong with it, but that does seem to be how it works. These look like one I want to add to my list to bake 🙂
There is something about being a Mom and baking 🙂 Hope you add these to your cookie tray!
These are some of my favorite Italian cookies! Lovely.
Thanks Paula!
These cookies looks so amazing! Like they would melt in your mouth they are so delicious…yum!
Thanks Brandy!
Oh I can imagine these cookies melting in the mouth..would be gone very quickly with tea 😀
Yep Medeja, they don’t last long.
My mom use to make these growing up, the almond flavor in them rocks! LOVE these, gorgeous pictures Amy! 🙂
Thanks Krista! Coming from you that is a compliment, I love your photos!
As a mom, yes, baking holiday cookies is a must 😉 These look amazing!! I love almond flavored anything and these are right up my alley!
Thanks Amanda.
Yummy, those look good! Such a great texture and I love the combo of flavors!
Thanks Kimberly.
Thanks Kimberly!
My kids love playing with powdered sugar, they’d totally be into making these cookies and I would be into eating them!
I like the way you think Tanya. As long as they do the clean up too 🙂
I’ve never heard of riciarelli cookies but they look like they would melt in your mouth!
They really do Tonia, the almond flavor is just perfect with the confectioner sugar tops!
Hello, I’m thinking of baking these cookies for a friend, how long do you think they last out of the cold?
Hi Matilde, Do you mean stored at room temperature? They will hold up in a cool room covered for one week. If they are in the heat, the powdered sugar will get messy.