HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Ok, so. Josh says these are his favorite cookies that I’ve ever made. I think that’s saying a lot, considering. These ricciarelli (not sure how to pronounce this… “rich”-ee-uh-relly? “rick”-uh-relly? Any Italians in the house?) were inspired by Arizmendi’s, but chewier, with more orange zest. These are gluten free!! Super chewy because of the nut flour and egg whites, with strong aroma.
- Recipe:
- adapted from a recipe that can no longer be found on the internet
- makes 20 small cookies
- You need:
- two large bowls, one small bowl
- one spatula, latex gloves for convenience
- Cookies:
- 2 large egg whites, at room temperature (about 80 grams)
- 11 oz blanched almond flour/meal, finely ground
- 11 oz + 1/4 c powdered sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- zest of 1 1/2 large oranges (about 2 Tbsp)
- 2 tsp almond extract
In a large bowl, whisk 2 large egg whites until stiff peaks.
In a separate large bowl, stir together 11 oz blanched almond flour, 11 oz powdered sugar, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt.
Stir the dry ingredients into the egg whites until fully combined. It’ll look questionable, and you may feel awkward killing the air of the egg whites, but it’s ok, and apparently this is the way it should be. Batter will be somewhat dry, but it will come together. When combined, stir in zest of 1 1/2 large oranges (about 2 Tbsp) and 2 tsp almond extract.
Allow to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Then, preheat oven to 325 deg F. Using a cookie scoop or hands, scoop out into balls of approximately 3-4 Tbsp, walnut sized. Pour 1/4 c powdered sugar into a small bowl. Coat cookie dough balls with powdered sugar and place on a baking sheet at least 4 cm/ 1.5″ apart. Flatten slightly or not, for baking.
Bake for 14-16 minutes until dough is lightly browned where showing through the powdered sugar. Allow to cool completely before storing and tasting. Cookies will keep about 4 days in an airtight container.