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Sicilian almond cookies are a surprise with their consistency and taste. They have a thin, crispy top layer. Biting into them reveals the soft and moist inside, which tastes of marzipan. Lemon provides a subtle aroma. The pizzicotti di pasta di mandorle with their cracked pattern are also a real eye-catcher on the coffee table. They are very easy to make with just a few ingredients. You can find a detailed Italian almond paste cookies recipe with the exact quantities and step-by-step instructions below.
What are Sicilian almond cookies?
Sicilian almond cookies are popular little cookies in Italian cuisine. As the name suggests, the recipe comes from Sicily. Here they are often served with coffee.
The cookies are made from blanched ground almonds, egg whites and sugar. They contain no flour, just like the walnut ghriba or the cinnamon stars, and are often flavored with lemon.
Sicilian almond cookies have a soft, moist center that tastes like marzipan. It is coated in a crispy crust. This consistency is what makes the Italian almond paste cookies so special.
They also stand out due to their appearance. First roll small balls out of the almond dough. Then you press your fingers into each ball. This gives Sicilian almond cookies their typical shape.
In Italy, the cookies are called pizzicotti di pasta di mandorle. The name is derived from the way they are prepared.
“Di pasta di mandorle” translates as “almond paste”. This is because the pastry is made from a dough that is similar to an almond paste. “Pizzicotti” means “to pinch”. When forming the cookies, you pinch the dough balls with your fingers.
Ground almonds yourself
I have opted for a quicker version and used almond flour in the recipe. Alternatively, you can use whole blanched almonds and ground them finely. Then put them in a powerful blender together with the sugar and grind everything into a powder.
Flavouring and refining
You can flavor the Italian almond paste cookies to your taste. I have used freshly grated orange and lemon zest for this. Just lemon zest works too. Instead of lemon juice, you can also use orange blossom water.
You can also press a whole almond into each cookie before baking. This gives the pastry an extra crunchy note.
Prepare dough for Sicilian almond cookies
You can also prepare the dough for Sicilian almond cookies in advance. Then wrap it airtight and store it in the fridge overnight. This gives it plenty of time to chill. And the next day, the cookies are very easy to shape.
Sweet eye-catcher for snacking
With their cracked pattern, the Italian almond paste cookies are a sweet eye-catcher on the coffee table, just like the Russian almond cookies. You can serve them with tea or snack on them between meals.
The small cookies are also ideal for giving as a gift, just like the gingerbread cookies, the Burgenland cookies or the honey cookies. For example, they make a delicious Christmas gift from the kitchen.
These cookies are
- moist and soft on the inside,
- crispy on the outside,
- tender,
- nutty,
- delicious,
- tasting of marzipan,
- incredibly delicious,
- aromatic,
- with a citrus aroma, just like my lemon crinkle cookies and orange cookies,
- without wheat flour,
- without butter,
- a pretty eye-catcher with the cracked pattern,
- quick and easy to make with just a few ingredients,
- ideal for coffee, tea or snacking between meals,
- perfect as a gift,
- a sweet classic of Italian cuisine.
How to make Italian almond paste cookies: tips and tricks
- Instead of using almond flour, you can use whole blanched almonds and ground them yourself.
- You can flavor the almond dough with just lemon zest or just orange zest, depending on your taste. Instead of lemon juice, you can use orange blossom water, for example.
- The amount of almond flour specified in the recipe may vary. Gradually add the almond flour to the egg white sugar mixture until you have a slightly sticky and malleable mixture.
- Leave the almond dough to cool well. This will make it barely sticky and easy to roll into balls.
- You can prepare the almond dough the day before and leave it in an airtight container in the fridge overnight.
Video recipe for Sicilian almond cookies
You can find a short video for Sicilian almond cookies on my Youtube channel. There you can see exactly how to make them at home. If you don’t want to miss any more of my videos, please subscribe to my channel.
Have you made the Italian almond paste cookies using this recipe? I look forward to your result, your star rating and your comment below on how they turned out and tasted.
Try out these other delicious cookie recipes:
- Chocolate vanilla cookies – melt in your mouth
- Snowflake cookies vegan – recipe for the most tender cookies in the world
- Tatar cookies “Barmak” – with walnut filling
Sicilian almond cookies
Ingredients
- approx. 170 g almond flour
- 1 egg white
- 80 g sugar
- zest of 1/2 organic lemon
- zest of 1/2 organic orange
- 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- approx. 30 g powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Mix sugar, lemon zest and orange zest thoroughly in a mixing bowl using a silicone spatula so that the sugar absorbs the citrus flavor.
- Using a whisk, briefly beat egg white with lemon juice until frothy.
- Add the egg white to the sugar and mix.
- Add almond flour in batches and knead into a malleable, slightly sticky dough, similar to a marzipan paste.
- Cover and chill the almond dough for approx. 40 minutes.
- Quickly form small balls (approx. 20 g each) from the almond dough and roll them in powdered sugar.
- Lightly press each almond ball together with your thumb and forefinger to create a hollow in the middle.
- Spread the cookies out on a baking tray lined with baking paper with a little space between them and bake in a preheated oven at 356 °F (180 °C) for approx. 12 minutes.
- Leave the Sicilian almond cookies to cool on the baking tray.
Notes
- Instead of using almond flour, you can use whole blanched almonds and ground them yourself.
- You can flavor the almond dough with just lemon zest or just orange zest, depending on your taste. Instead of lemon juice, you can use orange blossom water, for example.
- The amount of almond flour specified may vary. Gradually add the almond flour to the egg white sugar mixture until you have a slightly sticky and malleable mixture.
- Leave the almond dough to cool well. This will make it barely sticky and easy to roll into balls.
- Take note of the detailed tips and tricks for making the Italian almond paste cookies at the top of the article.
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