Ricciarelli, the sweet speciality from Siena, delights with a delicate almond flavour and a soft centre. The vegan version of the almond biscuit also awakens a longing for Tuscany.

Preparation 20 minutes | Preparation 20 minutes | Resting time for the dough 12 hours | Time in the oven 20 minutes | Total 13 hours

Ingredients

For ca 25 Ricciarelli

• 20ml Aquafaba
• 145g almonds with skin
• 120g icing sugar
• 1tsp lemon juice
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/8TL vanilla powder
• 3-4 drops of bitter almond flavouring
• 2tsp cornflour
• 1/2tsp baking powder
• Zest of one organic orange
• Icing sugar for processing and sprinkling

Preparation

• Blanch the almonds: Bring the water to the boil, add the almonds and simmer for 1 min. Drain in a sieve and rinse with cold water. Carefully squeeze the almonds out of the skin between thumb and forefinger and leave to dry on a clean kitchen towel.
• Whip the aquafaba, salt, baking powder and lemon juice until the mixture is stiff.​
• Finely grind the blanched almonds in a blender.
• Mix the ground almonds, icing sugar, orange zest, bitter almond flavouring and vanilla powder.
• Slowly fold in the aquafaba foam and form a ball with your hands.
• Leave the dough to rest overnight in a bowl covered with cling film in the fridge.
• Sprinkle the work surface generously with icing sugar, divide the dough into two portions and shape into approx. 3 cm thick rolls.
• Cover the baking tray with baking paper and dust with icing sugar.
• Cut the ricciarelli diagonally from the roll to give them an oval shape, place them on the baking paper and flatten them slightly with two fingers.
• Dust the ricciarelli generously with icing sugar and bake for 10 minutes at 150 degrees top/bottom heat, switch off the oven, open the door a crack and leave the ricciarelli to dry out for 10 minutes in the switched-off oven.
• Remove the riciarelli from the oven, leave to cool thoroughly and then dust with icing sugar.