Recipe, Ricciarelli pastries from Siena

Ricciarelli are white, soft, moist and extremely sweet boat-shaped almond pastries covered with white icing sugar. They have a rough surface. Some are covered with dark chocolate called ‘rough’ (ricciarelli rozzi).

 

Until half a century ago they were only made in Siena, although now ricciarelli are made also in the provinces of Grosseto and Pisa, especially in Pomarance. Ricciarelli probably go back to the thirteenth century and probably came from the East. They are often still sold in traditional blue paper with the figures of two Etruscan horses, no-one really knows why.

 

Legend has it that a Sienese adventurer, Ricciardetto della Gherardesca, ate these delights during a crusade in about 1250 and upon his return taught the recipe to his cook in the Gherardesca Castle near Volterra. All ricciarelli are good with coffee and sweet dessert wines, especially with Tuscan Vin Santo.

RECIPE
Ground almonds are mixed into a dough made of egg white, honey, sugar, yeast and spices, shaped into moulds which have the characteristic boat shape, sprinkled with icing sugar and baked at 180° C for twenty-five minutes. Some are covered with hot bitter chocolate.

Source: www.terresiena.it