Ricciarelli
(pronunciation: ričareli) Sienese traditional cookies that were prepared in ancient times at Christmas time, while today they can be found at any time of the year ... as I already wrote, for years I have been preparing to make these wonderful cookies full of almonds, vanilla and crust oranges, but by no means did that moment come. I read with awe all the possible recipes and preparation steps, and decided yesterday! And even though my ones today aren’t completely white (because I didn’t have well-ground almonds), I’m very proud of myself (and them) because they’RE PHENOMENAL! Both in appearance and taste the same as the ones I often ate with caffe marocchino, there in Via Banchi di Sopra, in Siena. ♥
Preparation steps
- Don’t be discouraged by the long text when preparing these cookies, they really aren’t that hard to make, the only thing they require is a little more time. If you follow the steps carefully, you will get real hay cookies that will not disappoint you with their taste. And if you've tried shopping, you may be surprised that they're better than shopping. Here, Sssiena is sharing her first real hay cookie with everyone! About 18-20 cookies fall out of this mixture.
- First blanch the almonds, peel them and place them in the oven at 50 degrees to dry a bit (about 10 minutes). After that, grind them well, but be careful not to overheat the appliance (multipractice, coffee grinder) you are working with so that the almonds do not start to release oil from the heat. - Or buy ready-made, ground almonds, all white! Transfer them to a bowl to work the mixture, add flour, grated orange peel, sugar and an ampoule of bitter almond flavoring.
- In another bowl, mix powdered sugar, flour, baking soda and baking powder, then lightly sift this mixture into the almond mixture. Mix well to soak all the ingredients.
- Make a syrup: put sugar in a bowl and pour water over it. Heat gently without stirring. As soon as the sugar dissolves, the syrup is ready. It must not boil! I made the syrup by holding the pan over the fire and turning it gently in my hand until the sugar had completely dissolved. Cool the syrup, it should not be hot but lukewarm and add it to the almond mixture. You will get a slightly moist mixture, but unbound, more sandy. Don't worry about it, that's the way it should be. Cover the bowl with a DAMP, WELL DRAINED KITCHEN cloth that must not touch the mixture. Allow the mixture covered with a cloth to rest for 12 hours. (You don't have to put the dish in the fridge, it can stay outside).
- DAY TWO: Add vanilla flavor and vanilla powdered sugar and beaten egg whites to the mixture. It is not necessary to beat the egg whites with a mixer, but by hand, and only to the extent that the egg whites start to foam (create bubbles) and lightly turn white.
- Make the mixture well with your hands, so that all the ingredients combine well. Switch to a work surface sprinkled with powdered sugar mixed with a little starch flour (density). Make a roll 5-6 inches in diameter and cut cookies 1 cm thick. Roll each cookie in a mixture of powdered sugar and starch flour and use two knives to form a diamond shape (or by hand). Each cookie should weigh between 25 and 30 gr. Place the cookies prepared in this way on a prepared baking tray covered with baking paper and sprinkle them with powdered sugar before baking.
- Bake them in a preheated oven at 140-150 degrees (fan) for 15-20 minutes (depending on the oven). They are baked when they start to crack on the surface, don’t be afraid if they are soft to the touch. As they cool, they begin to harden.
- Cool them well and savor them with coffee! The cookies have a super crispy crust, and inside they are soft and full of almond and orange flavors.
