Ricciarelli - The Sienese Christmas Almond cookies

A cross between a small pastry and an almond cookie, ricciarelli feature a dusting of powdered sugar, with a soft inside that melts in your mouth and a striking aroma of bitter almonds.

Ciao, on Sunday we met for the December Cook Along, and we spent two hours talking, mixing sugar and honey, chopping candied peels, and measuring spices. It was fun, productive, and festive, and I won’t deny that I shed a little tear towards the end of our two hours together, moved by your friendship and support.

We baked a tray of cavallucci, a slab of panforte, and two dozen ricciarelli, and I’m sure that for one night Siena and a Tuscan Christmas were a little bit closer to your home, wherever you were connecting from. The next cook-along will be in January, and we have already a list of recipes to cook together (ribollita, gnudi, ricotta gnocchi…). Let me know in the comments if you have any requests!

We started with a small number of participants, but now our Cook Along is growing and getting very animated. From January, we will probably move our Cook Along to Zoom, so that a recording of the class will be available for all paid subscribers. We listened to your requests!

That’s the beautiful panforte we baked on Sunday!

And today, as anticipated, I’m sharing a little back story and the recipe to make the Sienese ricciarelli at home.

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Unlike Sicily and Naples, Tuscany is not a region known for its dessert traditions. Siena, however, is an exception, especially at Christmastime. The aroma of spices—cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, pepper—permeates the town throughout the year. Yet the true Sienese are dubious when it comes to traditional desserts prepared outside the holiday season, a trend they consider aimed at tourists. So, be sceptical, if you will, and consider visiting Siena at Christmas to experience its most authentic desserts.

The peak season for bakeries, pastry shops, and small artisanal shops begins in November with the arrival of pan co’ santi, a sweet, fragrant bread stuffed with raisins and walnuts, traditionally associated with All Saints' Day, November 1. 

Christmas season sees the arrival of panforte, cavallucci, ricciarelli, and copate, a brittle-like crunchy dessert of caramel and nuts wedged between wafers. Every Sienese family has its favourite bakery shop and, come the start of the season, a sort of secular pilgrimage begins as locals seek out the flavours and aromas of the winter holidays.

Ricciarelli

A cross between a small pastry and an almond cookie, ricciarelli feature a dusting of powdered sugar, with a soft inside that melts in your mouth and a striking aroma of bitter almonds.

The origin of ricciarelli di Siena dates back to the fifteenth century: the almond paste – in the form of marzipan or Marzapanetti – was once very popular in the town and Siena was famous even outside its territory for its production. The cookies made with almond paste were reserved for the sumptuous banquet of the Lords because they were made of precious ingredients, mainly almonds and sugar. They were so valuable and refined that marzipan sweets were sold in the apothecary shops along with drugs and the most exotic spices of the time.

Today, together with panforte, ricciarelli are perhaps one of the most characteristic Sienese desserts. Those made at Menchetti practically fly off the shelves, yet those at the Consorzio Agrario also merit a stop. 

Today ricciarelli also come in a dark chocolate-covered version. Taste them at Pierini and Forno delle Campane, then try to choose your favourite—a difficult task indeed!

RECIPE - Ricciarelli

This is the recipe we perfected during our December Cook Along.

This is an exclusive recipe for the subscribers. It is part of a serialized Tuscan cookbook, a collection of tested classic Tuscan recipes to add to your cooking repertoire. Learn more about the I Love Toscana project here and find all the recipes here. You can upgrade and get access to this, as well as all our monthly cook-along and live talks, on the link above.