TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Ricciarelli di SienaSienese Almond Cookies
Almond cookies of medieval origin from Siena, with a crisp powdered-sugar coating and a soft, moist interior. Rose water and orange peel add elegant fragrance. Protected by IGP certification.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.
Ingredients (8 servings)
- Blanched almondsFinely grind in a food processor.250 g
- Powdered sugarFor the dough, plus an additional 50 g for dusting and finishing.250 g
- Egg whitesUse directly without whipping.2 egg whites
- Candied orange peelFinely chopped.50 g
- Orange blossom waterOr the same amount of rose water.10 ml
- Baking powder3 g
- Bitter almond extractA few drops are enough. Optional.3 ml
Method
Grind the almonds
- 1 Finely grind 250 g almonds in a food processor.
Ready when
Continue when they resemble almond meal.
Caution
Do not grind excessively fine; stop before oils begin to emerge.
Mix the dry ingredients
- 1 Mix the almond meal, 250 g powdered sugar and baking powder.
- 2 Add chopped candied orange peel, orange blossom water and bitter almond extract.
Ready when
Continue when evenly combined.
Knead the dough
- 1 Add 2 egg whites directly without whipping and knead into a moist, uniform dough.
- 2 Wrap the dough in plastic.
Ready when
Continue when the dough is moist and uniform.
Caution
If sticky, adjust with a little additional powdered sugar.
Rest in the refrigerator
- 1 Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
Ready when
After 1 hour, continue when the dough has settled and is easy to shape.
Shape
- 1 Preheat the oven to 150°C.
- 2 Dust the work surface generously with powdered sugar.
- 3 Take about 25 g dough at a time and shape into oval diamonds.
- 4 Coat generously all over with powdered sugar.
Ready when
Continue when evenly shaped into ovals and coated with sugar.
Bake the ricciarelli
- 1 Arrange on a tray lined with baking paper.
- 2 Bake at 150°C for 15–18 minutes.
Ready when
Ready when cracks form on the surface; keep the interior moist.
Caution
Overbaking dries and hardens them.
Cool and store
- 1 Cool completely.
- 2 Store in an airtight container.
Caution
They are fragile just after baking. Handle only when completely cool.
About this dish
Siena’s old town retains almost its medieval form, with buildings around Piazza del Campo dating to the 13th and 14th centuries. Ricciarelli, born here, use ingredients brought by medieval trade routes: almonds and rose water. Almonds arrived from the Arab world via Sicily, and rose water came through the perfume trade.
As Siena prospered as a stop on the Via Francigena pilgrimage route to Rome, it gathered ingredients from across the Mediterranean. Ricciarelli emerged from those global exchanges and obtained EU IGP, protected geographical indication, status.
The almond and orange blossom aroma spreading from the oven is distinctive. Surface cracks are not accidental but form naturally as moisture leaves the dough. Their pattern indicates the degree of baking.
Bring the full course home next weekend.
Bring every dish to the table at its best.
Choose the dishes you want to cook, and Chef Authen handles the shopping list and the day-of schedule. The Tabelia app turns everything from starter to main into one coordinated course in your kitchen.
- One shopping listBuilt automatically from your menu and any substitutions, ready to check off.
- One timelineEvery dish’s waiting and cooking time combined into a single schedule.
- Answers beyond the recipeFrom judging the heat to adapting on the fly, Chef Authen answers with concrete criteria, not guesses.