Italian Almond Cookies (Ricciarelli) – Gluten Free Recipe
Delightfully chewy and naturally gluten-free Italian Almond Cookies, known as Ricciarelli, featuring a fragrant blend of almond meal, dried cherries, and lemon zest. These soft, chewy treats are coated in crunchy flaked almonds and lightly sweetened with honey, perfect for a sophisticated snack or dessert.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups almond meal or blanched ground almonds
- 1/2 cup caster / superfine sugar
- 2 tsp lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 3 drops natural almond extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped
Wet Ingredients
- 2 egg whites, at room temperature (from 2 large eggs)
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 extra egg white
Topping
- 1 1/2 cups flaked almonds
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F (170°C fan). Line two baking trays with baking or parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the almond meal, caster sugar, lemon zest, almond extract, and salt until evenly mixed. Stir in the chopped dried cherries and set this mixture aside.
- Beat Egg Whites: Using an electric mixer or a whisk, beat the two egg whites along with the honey until soft peaks form. This typically takes about 2 minutes on speed 8 with a handheld mixer or 1.5 minutes on speed 6 with a stand mixer.
- Fold Egg Whites into Almond Mixture: Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the almond and cherry mixture. It’s okay if it appears that much of the air is lost—this is normal and won’t affect texture.
- Prepare Coating Bowls: In a small bowl, whisk the extra egg white until foamy. In another bowl, place the flaked almonds ready for coating.
- Form Cookie Balls: Using two spoons, scoop about one tablespoon of the mixture and shape it into a rough 2.5 cm (1 inch) ball. Perfection is not required here.
- Coat in Egg White: Drop each ball into the foamy egg white and use two forks to turn it, ensuring it is fully coated.
- Coat with Flaked Almonds: Transfer the egg-white-coated balls into the flaked almonds, pressing gently to cover them as much as possible. Some double layering and nut pieces sticking out are fine.
- Arrange and Bake: Place the coated balls on the prepared trays spaced about 2.5 cm (1 inch) apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes until the cookies are lightly golden. Begin checking at 12 minutes to prevent burning the almonds.
- Cool: Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
- Store: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container. They will keep fresh for up to 10 days or can be frozen for longer storage.
Notes
- Use blanched almond meal for the best texture and color in cookies.
- Caster sugar dissolves quickly and helps retain moisture, but superfine sugar works as a substitute.
- Dried cherries add a tart-sweet contrast; alternatively, you can use dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots.
- Egg whites should be at room temperature to achieve the best volume when beaten.
- Do not overmix when folding the egg whites to maintain the light texture.
- Check cookies early during baking to avoid burnt flaked almonds.
Keywords: Ricciarelli, Italian almond cookies, gluten free cookies, almond cookies, Italian dessert, chewy cookies, almond flour dessert
