Sicilian almond biscuits

Also known as almond dolcetti, pasticcini di mandorla, or if made with bitter almonds as amaretti, these sweet, soft little biscuits are incredibly easy to make – and gluten-free too.

Enzo Oliveri's almond dolcetti Credit: Sicily with Aldo and Enzo

• makes

  16

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 250 g almond meal (see Note)
• 250 g caster sugar
• 3 or 4 egg whites, depending on the size
• 4 drops almond essence if the almonds are not Sicilian, optional
• Icing sugar, for rolling (see Note)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.

2. In a bowl, mix the almond flour and caster sugar with a wooden spoon (or alternatively, mix in a stand mixer). Add 3 egg whites and mix. If the mixture is too hard or will not come together, add more egg white as needed.

3. Use your hands to shape the mixture into balls about the size of a small walnut, or alternatively, put the mixture in piping bag and shape as desired.

4. Roll biscuits in icing sugar and place on a baking tray.

5. Cook for 12-15 minutes.

6. Cool before serving.

Notes

• Traditionally in Sicily, these were often made with bitter almonds. You can substitute natural almond meal, ground pistachios, or hazelnut meal instead of the blanched almond meal.

• Use gluten-free icing sugar to make this recipe gluten-free.

• You can also add vanilla essence to the biscuit mixture, or decorate the biscuits with nuts or dried cherries.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.