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Italian, Tuscan cuisineDessert

Ricciarelli di Siena

Ricciarelli di Siena are soft almond cookies shaped into flattened oval lozenges and buried in icing sugar before a short bake. The centres should remain tender and moist while the powdered surface develops the fine cracks associated with the Sienese sweet.

Ricciarelli di Siena: wide hero view of the finished traditional dish
25 minutesPrep
18 minutesCook
12 h 43 minTotal
18 cookiesYield

About Ricciarelli di Siena

Visit Tuscany describes the protected product as a dough based on almonds, sugar and egg white, shaped into an oval lozenge, dusted heavily with icing sugar and baked briefly.

Its home recipe rests the almond mixture overnight, which hydrates the ground almonds and makes the sticky dough easier to shape.

Bitter almond aroma and orange zest reinforce the classic marzipan character without turning the cookies into crisp amaretti.

Ricciarelli leave the oven soft; cooling is part of the setting process and prevents overbaking.

Technique

Three things that matter

  • Rest the almond mixture. Overnight hydration improves shaping and flavour.
  • Use generous icing sugar. The powder prevents sticking and creates the characteristic white cracked surface.
  • Pull them while soft. Waiting for a firm centre in the oven produces dry cookies after cooling.

Ingredients

Recipe card

Ricciarelli di Siena

Yield18
Preparation: 25 mCooking: 18 mTotal time: 12 h 43 m

Almond dough

For shaping

Equipment

Mixing bowl for almond dough
Flexible spatula for folding
Baking tray for 18 cookies
Parchment paper to prevent sticking

Method

Make and rest the dough

01Combine the dry base.

Mix almond flour and icing sugar until evenly blended.

No compact sugar lumps should remain.

02Add aromatics and whites.

Fold in egg whites, bitter almond extract, vanilla and orange zest.

The mixture should become a thick, sticky almond paste.

03Rest overnight.

Cover directly and refrigerate about 12 hours.

The dough should feel firmer and easier to portion the next day.

Shape generously in sugar

04Heat the oven.

Preheat to 160°C and line a baking tray.

The moderate oven protects the pale exterior.

05Portion and form.

Roll portions in icing sugar and shape into oval lozenges about 1 cm thick.

Cookies should have rounded ends and a slightly flattened top.

06Coat heavily.

Dust the tops with another generous layer of icing sugar and space them on the tray.

The surface should look almost snowy before baking.

Bake softly

07Bake briefly.

Bake about 16–18 minutes.

Fine cracks should appear while the centres still feel distinctly soft.

08Cool on the tray.

Leave untouched for 10 minutes before moving to a rack.

The cookies should firm enough to lift without becoming hard.

09Mature and store.

Cool fully and store airtight; flavour and texture improve by the next day.

The centre should remain chewy-soft beneath a delicate sugar crust.

Practical guidance

Practical guidance

PGI boundary

This is a home recipe in the style of Ricciarelli di Siena. The PGI designation applies to product made and packaged within the protected Siena production area under its specification.

Almond extract

Use bitter almond extract sparingly; too much creates a medicinal aroma.

Storage

Keep airtight at room temperature for several days; they are often especially good the day after baking.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

  • Dough spreads. It was too warm or not rested long enough. Chill until firm before shaping.
  • Cookies are dry. They stayed in the oven until firm. Remove while the centres are still soft.
  • Sugar disappears. The coating was too thin. Roll and dust generously before baking.
Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

  • Serving size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: approximately 125 kcal
  • Carbohydrates: 17 g
  • Protein: 3 g
  • Fat: 6 g
  • Fibre: 1 g
  • Sodium: 15 mg

Approximation assumes 18 equal cookies.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Contains egg and almonds/tree nuts.

Use pasteurised egg whites if serving people at increased foodborne-illness risk; the cookies are baked but remain intentionally soft.

Store completely cooled cookies airtight to avoid condensation.

FAQ

FAQ

What texture should ricciarelli have?

A soft, moist almond centre with a lightly set, cracked icing-sugar exterior.

Why rest the dough overnight?

Hydration firms the almond paste and improves both shaping and flavour.

Are homemade ricciarelli automatically PGI?

No. PGI status depends on the protected production specification and geographic processing area.

Final note

What matters most

  • Result: Pale oval almond cookies with a snowy cracked shell and a tender marzipan-like centre scented with orange and bitter almond.
  • Key: Rest the dough, coat generously with icing sugar and stop baking while the centres are still soft.
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