Pasticcini Di Mandorle

Pasticcini di Mandorle are soft and fragrant Sicilian almond cookies found throughout Italy. They're extremely easy to make and typically topped with candied cherries or almonds and make a perfect addition to any holiday cookie platter.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Almond Cookies, Pasticcini di Mandorle

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 6

Servings

Calories 116kcal

Equipment

1 pastry bag
1 piping tip (1M)
2 parchment lined cookie sheets

Ingredients

250 grams almond flour 2 ½ cups
125 grams granulated sugar 1/2 cup
3 medium egg whites lightly beaten
lemon zest from 1 lemon
1 ounce Amaretto liquor
2 teaspoons almond extract
8 red candied cherries
8 green candied cherries
8 almonds
1/2 cup honey (optional) for brushing over the cookies

Instructions

In a medium sized bowl, stir together the almond flour, sugar and the lemon zest.
Add in the lightly beaten egg whites and stir with a fork, until well incorporated.
Stir in the amaretto liquor and the almond extract.
The dough should feel soft and somewhat wet but will still hold together very well.
Fit the star tip into your pastry bag and scoop in some of the almond paste dough.
Pipe 2 inch round spirals of dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet making one full circle and one half circle over the first. (make sure there is no empty space in the centre)
Repeat with the remaining dough.
Place a candied cherry or a whole almond in the centre of the almond cookie, while pressing down slightly.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F, for approximately 12 to 15 minutes, till deep golden brown in colour. (take care not to have them darken too much otherwise you'll lose the soft texture)
Warm some honey in the microwave and gently brush the honey over the cookies while still warm.
The honey is optional but it adds such a lovely sheen to the almond biscuits and helps to maintain their softness.

Notes

Helpful Tip:

Getting the right texture is important to ensure success.

There is no need to refrigerate the dough before baking because they hold their shape beautifully while baking.

But the texture could vary depending on how much egg white your eggs yield.

So, if your dough is too dry and making it difficult to pipe out simply add a little more egg white.

And if your dough is too wet, you can add in more almond flour.

Nutrition