Ricciarelli: the typical Christmas biscuits of the Siena area with Vin Santo Orcia

When you get home for a family Christmas, surprise everyone with the original recipe for Ricciarelli, enjoy them with a glass of Vin Santo Orcia Doc!

At  Christmas the families living in the Val d’Orcia always offer these biscuits, one of the symbols of the land of Siena. Traditional Ricciarelli are made from  an ancient recipe and are eaten together  with a glass of Vin Santo Orcia Doc.

This sweet dates back to the XV century in Siena. Although its origin is unknown the biscuit comes from the elaboration of marzipan which at the time was probably imported from the Orient. The name might derive from a reference to the shoes with a curled tip, (arricciato) typical in oriental countries.

These are the ingredients to be followed step by step to recreate this traditional Tuscan biscuit at home over Christmas. The recipe is rather complicated and takes  an hour and a half preparation but only 15 mins baking time.

Ingredients

• 300g minced almonds
• 400g flour
• Icing sugar for decorating
• 250 g sugar
• 15 g di candied orange peel
• 50 g vanilla sugar
• 2 bitter almonds
• One egg white

Skin the bitter almonds after boiling them in water for a few minutes. Blend them together with the candied peel and add to the minced almonds and 200 g of sugar.

In a pan boil gently the remaining sugar with a couple of spoons of water . When the syrup thickens and becomes golden take away from the heat. Mix the almonds and sugar with the syrup adding also 10 g of icing sugar and 15 g of flour. Amalgamate well and let stand covered with a cloth for at least 8 hours.

Beat the egg white till stiff using a pinch of salt. Add to this 10 g of flour and 20 g of vanilla sugar . Work it well to obtain a homogeneous frothy mix. Unite the almond mix and amalgamate.

On a floured  table where there is also the remaining icing sugar, make small pieces of paste into the classic rhomboid  shape of the ricciarello (or otherwise more simply into rectangles).

Bake in a medium oven at 160 degrees for about 15 minutes on an oven plate covered with baking paper .  Take out and let cool. When cool cover with lots of vanilla sugar.

Enjoy your Christmas Holiday with Ricciarelli!