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    Home » Cookies

    Traditional Sicilian (traditional Italian) Almond Cookies

    Published: Apr 23, 2022 · Modified: Apr 29, 2023 by Barbara · This post may contain affiliate links · 14 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These cookies are so good, it is the first time I have used almond flour, but it will not be my last. The lemon and orange zest make these cookies a favorite of mine.

    Second single closeup of a traditional Sicilian Almond Cookies.

    These cookies are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Add the orange and lemon zest along with the taste of almonds, and these will become a family favorite.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients You Will Need
    • Sicilian Almond Cookies Start to Finish
    • Cookie Dough
    • Piping Bag and Tip
    • Preparing The Cherries
    • Create and Bake Your Almond Cookies
    • Storage
    • Recipe

    Ingredients You Will Need

    Ingredients for the Sicilian Almond Cookies
    Jump to Recipe for Amounts

    Almond Flour-You can undoubtedly make your almond flour from scratch, and here are a few sites that show you how: Minimalist Baker and Foolproof Living. However, I need a super fine almond flour, and I have been happy with the Red Mill brand.

    Orange and Lemon Zest-Since you only need ½ teaspoon of each, it will not be more than 1 of each fruit, depending on the size of your orange and lemon.

    Maraschino Cherries-You can use regular cherries or candied cherries, but my favorite is the maraschino cherries. Just look at the bottle and get one with primarily nice-looking whole cherries. You will cut them in half, so the nicer looking they are, the easier it is to cut them.

    Sicilian Almond Cookies Start to Finish

    Cookie Dough

    Add sifted powdered sugar to the almond flour; you can do this all in the mixer bowl. Next, whisk the almond flour and the sifted powdered sugar to blend the two. Next, add the orange and lemon zest along with the vanilla extract. Finally, add the slightly beaten egg whites to the rest of the ingredients in the mixer bowl.

    Sifting powdered sugar into a bowl that has almond flour in it.

    I am sifting powdered sugar into a bowl with almond flour.

    All ingredients into the mixer bowl before mixing on a low speed.

    All the ingredients are in the mixer bowl, including the slightly beaten eggs.

    Mix all the ingredients for a minute or two. This almond cookie dough is grainy due to the almond flour. Even though the Red Mill almond flour is super fine, it is still made up of almond nuts. This type of flour helps keep the middle chewy. Scrape down the sides to make it easier to spoon into the piping bag.

    All ingredients for Sicilian Almond Cookies after mixing on a low mixer speed.

    Mixed on a low mixer speed for a couple of minutes.

    Almond cookie dough scraped from the sides and on the bottom of the bowl ready to be put into the piping bag.

    Scraping all the cookie dough to the bottom, ready for the piping bag.

    Piping Bag and Tip

    Cut the end off a piping bag. Add the tip with the inside coupling part. Then screw the top part of the coupling that fits over the tip and end of the piping bag. If you choose to cut the end of the bag and just use the tip with no coupling, know that this cookie dough is dense and might split the piping bag.

    Showing the Ateco 848 Stainless Steel #848 Closed Star Standard Large Tip.

    Closed large star piping tip inserted into the piping bag.

    Close up of a piping bag with a closed star and coupler.

    Screw the top part of the white coupling over the tip and bag.

    Fill the bag with the almond cookie dough and set it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Letting the cookie dough rest in the fridge will help meld the flavors together.

    Filled piping bag with all the cookie dough added.

    Preparing The Cherries

    While the cookie dough is in the refrigerator, it is time to get the maraschino cherries ready. I did extra, so I had a good choice of cherry halves. Cut at least ten cherries in half and set them on the cut side down on a paper towel. In a couple of minutes, transfer them to a clean paper towel. You want as much juice drained as you can.

    Cherries cut in half and draining on a paper towel.

    Create and Bake Your Almond Cookies

    Take the piping bag and pipe 1-½" to 2" circles, ending it in the middle. Next, take the half-cut cherries and put the cut end right in the middle of each cookie. Depending on the size of your circles, this will determine how many cookies you will get for the cookie dough.

    Piped two inch circles that are closed in the middle before adding the half cherry to the top.

    Piping 2" circles and closing the circle in the middle,

    Piped two inch circles with half a cherry on top, on parchment paper.

    Adding half a cherry on top right in the middle.

    Stick the whole pan into the refrigerator overnight. This process helps keep the swirl shape; if you bake them right away, they will lose the swirl shape and be flat.

    Bake at 350° for 14-16 minutes, then turn on the broiler for a minute or two. Depending on how fast your broiler starts to brown the cookies. Watch closely; you don't want them to burn; just crisp up the ends of the swirls. This process is what gives the cookies the crispy outside.

    Single side view closeup of a traditional Sicilian Almond Cookies.

    Storage

    After they have cooled, I store these in a container with a lid. The cookies last 5-7 days before they are not quite as crispy on the outside, but they are still chewy on the inside.

    Recipe

    Second single closeup of a traditional Sicilian Almond Cookies.

    Traditional Sicilian (traditional Italian) Almond Cookies

    Barbara Hall
    Because these are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside they do very well in a tin rather than a plastic container. Great gluten-free cookies!
    4.94 from 15 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Bake Time 15 minutes mins
    Chill 1 day d
    Total Time 1 day d 30 minutes mins
    Course Cookies, Gluten-Free
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 18 cookies
    Calories 121 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 cups (224 g) Almond flour
    • 1 ⅔ cup (200 g) Powdered sugar
    • 3 large (3 large) Eggs whites
    • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Orange zest
    • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Lemon zest
    • 10 (10) Maraschino cherries
    • ⅛ teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) Pure vanilla extract

    Instructions
     

    • Sift the powdered sugar right on top of the almond flour; I use a whisk to blend them. Add the zest from the orange and lemon and the vanilla extract. Slightly beat the three egg whites and add these to the mixture.
    • I use my stand mixer on low speed to make sure all the ingredients are mixed. Next, scrape all the cookie dough to the bottom of the bowl. Spoon mixture into a pastry bag (the tip I used with my pastry bag was a large closed star). Put the bag with the dough inside into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
    • While the cookie dough is in the refrigerator take the cherries and cut them in half. Put the cut side down on a paper towel to help absorb the juice from the cherries. Give them a few minutes then transfer them to a clean paper towel.
    • Line your cookie sheet pan with parchment paper, pipe out 2-inch circles, and close it in the middle. You want a beautiful mound. Now add one cherry half onto the top of each cookie. Finally, put the whole pan into the refrigerator for at least overnight. If you do not do this step, the cookies will not hold their shape when baked and will be flat.
    • Pre-heat your oven to 350°F then take the cookies from the refrigerator and right into the oven. I baked mine about 14-16 minutes before I turned the broiler on to finish browning the outside of the cookies for about 1 to 2 minutes. Broiling will give them a crispy outside and soft inside. Place on a rack to cool after taking them out of the oven.

    NUTRITION DISCLAIMER

    I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 121kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 9mgPotassium: 10mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword gluten-free almond cookie, italian almond cookies, traditional sicilian almond cookies
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Josephine

      February 25, 2023 at 9:49 am

      My broiler doesn't work. Will this be ok if i don't do that step?

      Reply
      • Barbara

        February 25, 2023 at 4:00 pm

        Hi Josephine, Of course! Just keep in mind that they will not have that crunchy outside but will be softer cookies. The tops of the ridges will not have the toasted look or taste to them. Do you have a toaster oven?

        Reply
        • Josephine

          February 28, 2023 at 10:11 am

          Yes, I do and it's pretty big.

          Reply
          • Barbara

            February 28, 2023 at 10:31 am

            Great! Some have a broil setting, or just the top heating element turns on. Just keep an eye on it to see what setting will work the best. Let me know how they turn out.

            Reply
    2. Josie

      February 10, 2023 at 8:55 am

      5 stars
      Hi, The cookies are delicious! I'd like to bake a few batches for my daughter's bridal shower as favors. Could the cookies be baked in advance and frozen?

      Reply
      • Barbara

        February 10, 2023 at 10:36 am

        Hi Josie, Congrats on your daughter's upcoming marriage! I would not freeze these simply because you put them under a broiler to crisp the edges. The broiling makes them crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Freezing captures moisture, and that will make them just chewy on both the inside and the outside. I wonder if after you pipe the cookies on a sheet pan and add the cherries, the next day, after they have been in the refrigerator all night, freeze them and bake and broil them just before the shower. I hope this helps - Barbara

        Reply
    3. Lucia

      January 09, 2023 at 9:45 am

      These cookies are excellent! Not hard to make, just have to plan ahead. They remind me of almond cookies I like to buy at Italian pastry shops. Crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside!

      Reply
      • Barbara

        January 09, 2023 at 12:01 pm

        Lucia - I love these cookies also! The crunchy outside, along with the chewy inside, is what makes them so good. Thank you - Barbara

        Reply
    4. Barbara

      May 08, 2022 at 7:30 am

      I’m always looking for recipes that help me reduce the carbohydrates but are less sweet. Can I reduce the amount of sugar?

      Reply
      • Barbara

        May 08, 2022 at 7:50 am

        Hi Barbara! Honestly since there are so few ingredients I am not sure how it will affect the cookie. If you do reduce the sugar I would start by maybe 1/4 cup and see how they are. If you do try this method please share the results I would love to know how they turned out.

        Reply
    5. Donna

      April 27, 2022 at 1:07 pm

      5 stars
      I have been looking for this recipe for some time

      Reply
      • Barbara

        April 27, 2022 at 3:52 pm

        Hi Donna, I am glad you found it!

        Reply
        • Connie

          November 21, 2022 at 6:43 pm

          Can we use egg white from a carton to this recipe as an option.

          Reply
          • Barbara

            November 21, 2022 at 9:23 pm

            Hi Connie, Since you are not going to whip the egg whites like for a macaroon, it may work. I have not worked with carton egg whites, but this batch does not make that many, if you don't mind doing 1 batch to see how they come together. If you decide to try it, please let me know how they turn out I would be very interested.

            Reply

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