Ricciarelli are tender, chewy Tuscan cookies made with egg whites and almond flour, so they are simple to bring together and naturally gluten-free.
Traditionally, flavored with almond extract and citrus, these cookies are fabulous with a cup of coffee or dessert wine. They are commonly found around the holidays, but are also a wonderfully light cookie perfect for the summertime.
Let’s get started…
In a large bowl, whisk 3 large egg whites with 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract, 2 teaspoons of citrus zest and a tablespoon of citrus juice.
Add 3 cups of almond flour, 1 cup of confectioners sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and mix until a firm evenly distributed dough forms.
Cover the bowl and chill the dough for an hour.
Before you portion the dough, add 1/2 cup of course sugar and 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar into 2 shallow bowls.
Use a lightly greased cookie dough scoop to portion tablespoons of dough. Roll the dough into a round ball and roll it in the course sugar. Transfer the dough into the confectioners sugar and roll it around until the dough in generously coated.
Place the sugar coated cookie dough onto parchment lined baking sheets leaving a little over an inch between each portion. These cookies don’t spread much, so you can fit a bunch of them on a cookie sheet.
Bake the cookies in a 325 degree oven for 16-18 minutes or until they feel lightly set.
These little cookies are so simple, but once you take your first bite they will become one of your all time favorites. They have such a wonderfully light, chewy texture with soft interiors and a thin crunch on the outer edges from the sugar crust.
They stay soft for days in an airtight container and will become your morning coffees bff.
If you are looking for a chocolate counterpart to these cookies then I would love for you to check out my dark chocolate amaretti cookies recipe.
Ricciarelli Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
- 2 teaspoons of citrus zest
- 1 tablespoon of citrus juice
- 3 cups of almond flour
- 1 cup of confectioners sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
Garnishing Sugars
- 1/2 cup of course sugar
- 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Whisk 3 large egg whites with 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract, 2 teaspoons of citrus zest and a tablespoon of citrus juice
- Add 3 cups of almond flour, 1 cup of confectioners sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and mix until a firm dough forms
- Cover the bowl tightly and chill the dough for about an hour
- Preheat your oven to 325°
- Place 1/2 cup of course sugar in a shallow bowl and 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar in a separate shallow bowl
- Roll a tablespoon of dough into a round ball and then roll in the course sugar and then the confectioners sugar
- Place the sugar coated dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet leaving 2 inches between them
- Bake your cookies in a 325 degree oven for 16-18 minutes until they feel lightly set
- Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature
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