Ladies, a Plate

Ricciarelli

My favourite recipe for these 14th century Sienese Christmas sweetmeats is from 'Carluccio's Complete Italian Food' by Antonio and Priscilla Carluccio (1997). As the authors note, 'they can be bought ready-made, but the homemade version is much better.' Ricciarelli are gently flavoured with lemon zest, honey and vanilla - a pleasant change from spicy Christmas baking - and their sugar-dusted golden exterior and soft, delicate centres make them a memorable Christmas gift.

Getting ready

1. Preheat the oven to 375º F/ 180º C and line two baking trays with baking paper, or edible rice paper. Have the egg whites at room temperature.

Mixing and baking

1. Combine the ground almonds and sugar in a large bowl and add the lemon zest, vanilla and honey
2. Beat the egg whites until firm peaks from and tip them onto the other ingredients
3. Now mix everything together, firstly with a wooden spoon and then knead it with your hands until smooth. It should be a fairly firm paste.
4. Sprinkle your bench with icing sugar and gently roll out the paste until it is ¾ in / 2 cm thick. This is important. If the paste is too thin, the Ricciarelli will be firm all through, and lack their traditional soft centres.
5. Now cut out oval shapes about 1½ -2 in / 4-5 cm in length. Or use a diamond shaped cutter as I did, or just use a knife. Keep re-rolling the paste until it is all used.
6. OR Make the dough into a log, ¾ in / 2 cm diameter. Cut into 2 in/ 4 cm lengths and shape each piece into a lozenge or diamond.
7. Place the Ricciarelli on the prepared baking sheets, leaving a gap of ½ in/ 13mm around them.
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes, making sure they are just golden on the edges. Don't let them brown too much. Remove to a cooling rack, sift icing sugar thickly over them, and store airtight when cool. Makes about 24 Ricciarelli.
9. {"NOTE"=>"If you want your Ricciarelli to have the traditional cracked tops, you'll need to let them sit overnight at room temperature before you bake them."}