Baking Sicilian almond biscuits

Packed full of ground blanched almonds, fine caster sugar and egg whites these little almond biscuits are easy to make. 

It is basically a delicious mouthful of soft, ground almonds baked. Put the ground almonds (almond meal) in a bowl, add the sugar, mix well, add three or four egg whites (I used three and didn't add the suggested almond essence), form little balls and dust them in icing sugar before they go in the oven for close to 15 minutes. 

Here is the SBS recipe (by Enzo Oliveri) I used. Made in my kitchen on a hot Australian summer morning I was pleased with how they turned out for the first go.  A little crunchy on the outside and some softness on the inside. 

They are pure tradition, found in nearly every pasticceria cafe /bar across the island and are an absolute delight to eat.

The almond, honoured by a festival 

Almonds are near sacred in Sicily. Honoured by a ‘springtime festival dedicated to almond trees in blossom’, in the southern city of Agrigento, 'when the Valley of the Temples is covered with a beautiful white and pink mantle, as delicate as a bridal veil’  (Alessandra Dammone, from her beautiful book, “Sweet Sicily”) and the best almonds, she notes, come from Avola, the ‘world’s most prized variety’- called Pizzuta d' Avola.

Travelling Sicily in search of the best almonds

When travel resumes and I can return to Sicily I will put Agrigento’s springtime almond festival on my list of Sicilian travels. I have never seen the festival. And the town of Avola will also be on that list.

The method in a few photos

Mixing the almond meal and sugar

Almond meal and sugar mixed, separating the egg whites 

Mixing once egg whites are added

Making into balls and covering in icing sugar

Out of the oven. I made about two dozen. 

Stay well.

Saluti

Suzanne