These biscuits are so so easy to make. The cook’s nonna passed the recipe to her and she now makes them for her family. She says they are very popular with everyone, including the school fundraiser, and my bet is that they’ll also be very popular with you. You’ll just love the chewy biscuits crowned with sweet jewel-like glacé cherries.
How to make Italian almond biscuits: key tips
Some recipes for these biscuits call for the egg whites to be beaten on their own until foamy, but you don’t need to worry about that with this recipe, as the egg whites are mixed straight in with the ground almonds, caster sugar, and vanilla and almond essences.
The mixture will be a bit sticky, but that’s okay. When you roll the mixture into balls and then coat them with icing sugar, the stickiness won’t be so obvious. Flatten the balls a little in your palms and then arrange them on your lined baking trays. Press a glacé cherry into the centre of each biscuit, then bake your bickies!
Don’t panic about any cracks forming over your biscuits – they’re a signature of these Italian treats. And once your biscuits are baked, let them cool completely on the trays. This will allow the outside to set and crisp up, while the centre remains soft and chewy.
Key ingredients in this Italian almond biscuits recipe
Egg whites in these biscuits help to bind the almond meal and sugar, creating a dough that doesn’t spread overly much as it bakes. The amount of protein in the egg whites also contributes to the airy, yet slightly chewy, texture of the almond biscuits.
Almond meal acts as a flour substitute and provides a soft and nutty texture to the biscuits, while almond essence enhances the almond flavour.
Glacé cherries are cherries that have been simmered in a thick sugar syrup until ‘candied’, and they star as the sweet ‘cherry on top’ for these classic biscuits. You can buy them at the supermarket.
Loving Italian biscuits? Try these zesty Italian lemon biscuits, and moreish amaretti biscuits, too.
This recipe was originally submitted by auntymia, a member of the Australia’s Best Recipe community. Introduction and additional recipe notes by Natasha Shaw.
Ingredients
- 5 egg whites lightly beaten
- 500 g ground almonds
- 350 g caster sugar
- 3 drops vanilla essence
- 3 drops almond essence
- 150 g glace cherries halved
- 150 g icing sugar
Method
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Step 1Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan forced). Place baking paper onto baking trays.
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Step 2Mix egg whites, ground almonds, caster sugar, vanilla and almond essence in a bowl and mix well with a fork. The mixture will be of a sticky consistency.
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Step 3Add icing sugar onto a cutting board.
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Step 4Roll mixture into walnut-size balls and coat in icing sugar.
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Step 5Flatten biscuits a little in palm of hand, then place on baking tray, leaving space between each biscuit.
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Step 6Place cherry on top of each biscuit.
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Step 7Bake for 7-10 minutes until just coloured.
Equipment
- 1 baking paper
- 1 baking tray
- 1 bowl
Recipe Notes
Can I add something else to the centre of these Italian almond biscuits?
I get it, not everyone is a fan of glacé cherries. If you’re not, you could pop a whole blanched almond in the centre of your biscuits, or a pistachio, or even some candied orange. You can also enjoy them baked plain.
How do the cracks form in these Italian almond biscuits?
Influenced by the egg whites in the mixture and the presence of icing sugar on the outside, as the biscuit rounds heat up in the oven, they rise and spread a little, causing their surfaces to crack and reveal their soft, chewy centres.
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