Food writer and cookbook author Ruth Nieman, is inspired by the culinary and viniculture of Israel’s diverse cuisine, which you can savour at Cultural Bites.  

Ingredients

• 150g / 1 ½ cups ground almonds

• 130g / 1 cup icing sugar + extra to roll the biscuits in & dust after baking

• zest & juice of clementine or small orange

• 1 large egg white / 2 small egg whites

• a pinch of sea salt

• 1 teaspoon of rose water or almond essence

• flaked almonds

Directions

1. Whisk the egg white, salt, juice of the clementine & rose water or almond essence together with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form

2. Using a fine mesh sieve, sift in the almond flour & icing sugar & fold gently into the egg whites, trying to keep as much air in the egg whites as possible, the mixture will form a pretty sticky dough at this point, add the clementine zest & fold in to combine

3. chill for 1 hour to harden slightly & develop the flavours

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

5. Sprinkle icing sugar onto a separate large board

6. Roll the dough into balls about 1″ in diameter, roll in the icing sugar until well coated & shape into an oval shape, (typical of the ricciarelli) place on the lined baking sheet with some space between them, as they will spread whilst cooking

7. with a damp finger, flatten slightly & sprinkle a few flaked almonds over the top of each one

8. Leave the biscuits at room temperature for 1-2 hours, or until the tops have dried out and formed a crust, like the macaron

9. Preheat oven to 160C / 320 F / GM 3 & once dry, place the biscuits in the oven for about 12-14 minutes & golden

10. Cool and store in an airtight container & dust with more icing sugar before serving…