3 Delicious Recipes from Italian Cookies: Authentic Recipes and Sweet Stories from Every Region by Domenica Marchetti

There’s something enduring about Italian cookies. The way they carry history, region, and ritual in every bite. Italian Cookies: Authentic Recipes and Sweet Stories from Every Region captures that spirit with a sense of both beauty and intention, guiding readers through Italy’s diverse culinary landscape one recipe at a time. From airy amaretti in Lombardy to the twice-baked crunch of Tuscan cantucci and the rustic charm of Abruzzese pizzelle, each cookie tells a story. Created by Domenica Marchetti, the book balances tradition with approachability, inviting home cooks to not only recreate these classics, but to understand the heritage behind them.

For Marchetti, this book is both personal and deeply rooted in place. With family ties to Abruzzo and a career spent teaching, writing, and developing recipes, she brings a rare combination of authority and intimacy to the page. Her approach is grounded in tradition but never intimidating, guiding readers through techniques and flavours with clarity and care.

We were fortunate to get three delicious recipes from Italian Cookies: Authentic Recipes and Sweet Stories from Every Region and are sharing them with you:

RICCIARELLI

Almond Cookies from Siena

These cookies from Siena are said to be named for their passing resemblance to Persian-style curled-toe slippers. They were once a refined treat reserved for nobility, and were available only during the Christmas season. Now sold year round in all of Siena’s pastry shops and cafés, each version is slightly different than the next.

MAKES 24 COOKIES

2 lightly packed cups (200 g) superfine blanched almond flour

2 cups (240 g) confectioners’ sugar, plus 1/2 cup (50 g) for coating the cookies

3 tablespoons minced Candied Orange Peel (see recipe below) or the finely grated zest of 1 large orange

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

2 large (64 g) egg whites

1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Sift the almond flour into a large bowl, then sift in the confectioners’ sugar. Stir in the candied orange peel, working it in well—I use my fingers. Sprinkle in the almond extract and stir to combine.
2. In a clean stainless-steel bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until they become foamy. Add the lemon juice and beat until the whites billow to soft peaks. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to beat the egg whites.
3. Scoop the egg whites into the bowl with the almond flour and gently fold them in until you have a stiff, sticky paste. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 325° F (165° C). Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Dust a work surface with some of the remaining 1/2 cup (60 g) confectioners’ sugar. Place the chilled dough on the sugar and roll it into a log about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter and 10 inches (25 1/2 cm) long. Keep your hands lightly coated with sugar to prevent the dough from sticking to them. Cut the log on the diagonal into 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick slices. Shape them into ovals with slightly pointed ends. Set the cookies on a prepared baking sheet, about 12 per sheet, leaving a little space between them.
5. Very lightly moisten your fingers and gently press the tops of the ricciarelli to flatten them slightly. Dust liberally with the remaining confectioners’ sugar. Let the cookies sit, uncovered, for 1 to 2 hours to dry out.
6. Bake, one sheet at a time, in the middle of the oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the cookies’ tops have cracked a bit and they are tinged around the edges with pale gold. They should hardly brown at all. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the cookies cool completely.
7. Arrange the ricciarelli on a decorative platter and dust with additional confectioners’ sugar before serving. They are best enjoyed with a small glass of Vin Santo, a sweet Tuscan dessert wine. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

SCORZA DI ARANCIA CANDITA

Candied Orange Peel

Many of the cookie recipes in this book call for candied orange or lemon peel, either finely chopped or in pieces. Candied peel adds color, texture, and bright flavor. It works beautifully with a spectrum of cookies, from vanilla and chocolate to spiced and iced. I consider it essential. I have yet to find a commercial brand of candied peel that tastes like real fruit, so I make my own.

The process calls for simmering the fruit in water, then poaching it in sugar syrup. As the peel absorbs the hot syrup, it is transformed into a chewy-soft confection. Once the peel has been candied, you can, if you like, coat the strips in sugar to make them sparkle. You can use this same process to candy lemon, lime, and other citrus peel.

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS (200 G)

3 organic navel oranges, preferably with thick peel, rinsed well

1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar

2 cups (475 ml) water

About 1/2 cup (100 g) superfine sugar, for coating, optional

1. Use a sharp paring knife to slice off the top and bottom of each orange. Score the oranges, making vertical slices at 1-inch (2 1/2-cm) intervals and cutting just through the peel and pith but not into the flesh. Pull off the segments of peel and slice them vertically into strips about 1/4 inch (6 mm) wide. (Reserve the flesh for another use.)
2. Place the strips of peel in a saucepan with water to cover by at least 1 inch (2 1/2 cm). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to low, and cook the peels gently for about 45 minutes, until just tender. Drain in a colander set in the sink.
3. Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Combine the granulated sugar and the 2 cups (475 ml) of water in the same saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then reduce the heat to low and add the drained peels. Cook gently, stirring from time to time, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the peels are tender and most (but not all) of the syrup has been absorbed. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peels to the rack and arrange them so that they are not touching. Let dry for at least 2 hours, until they are no longer wet but still slightly tacky.
5. To coat the strips in sugar, spoon the superfine sugar into a 1-quart (1 L) ziplock bag. Add 3 or 4 strips of peel to the bag and shake to coat them evenly. Place coated strips back on the rack, taking care to keep them separate. Continue until you have coated all the strips. Let them dry overnight, turning them once or twice, before serving or storing. Store the peels in a large glass jar in the refrigerator, where they will keep for at least 6 months.

Baker’s Note: Candied orange peel dipped in chocolate is a delicious after-dinner treat. Melt some chocolate following the instructions for tempering on page 27 and dip one-third of each strip into the chocolate. Set the strips on a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow the chocolate to set completely before serving.

BRUTTI MA BUONI (Piedmont, Lombardy, Tuscany and beyond)

Ugly but Good Cookies

Despite their name—“ugly but good”—these classic Italian cookies, said to come from Piedmont, Lombardy, or Tuscany depending on whom you ask, are anything but, with a crisp shell, crunchy nuts, and a soft center. You start by making a billowy meringue, folding in chopped nuts, then briefly cooking the mixture on the stovetop, which dries it out and lightly caramelizes the sugar for deeper flavor and color. You can use hazelnuts, almonds, or a mix, keeping the total at 7 ounces (200 grams). Bake longer for fully crisp cookies, or slightly less for a tender center.

MAKES 12 TO 20, DEPENDING ON SIZE

MERINGUE BATTER

3/4 cup (105 g) blanched and toasted almonds (see below), cooled

3/4 cup (100 g) toasted and skinned hazelnuts (see below), cooled

About 3 (90 g) large egg whites, at room temperature

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

SPICE MIX 1

1/2 teaspoon Pisto Napoletano (see below); or Quatre Épices (penzeys.com)

SPICE MIX 2

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, optional

1. For the meringue batter: Preheat the oven to 300° F (150° C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Coarsely chop the toasted, cooled almonds with a sharp chef’s knife. Hand-chopping will give you some unevenness in the size of the pieces, but this is a good thing. Chop the hazelnuts in the same way. Scoop the nuts into a bowl and set aside. 
2. Pour the egg whites into the clean metal bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a clean whisk attachment. Add the cream of tartar and begin whipping on medium-low speed. When the whites are foamy, add the salt and beat on high until the mixture is creamy white and growing in volume. With the mixer running, gradually add the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. It’s important to add the sugar gradually rather than all at once to prevent the meringue from collapsing. 
3. Beat until medium-soft peaks form—the peaks should curl at the top. Sprinkle in the spices (either Spice Mix 1 or Spice Mix 2) and beat a few seconds more to incorporate. The meringue should be glossy; it will look like marshmallow or soft-serve ice cream. Gently fold in the nuts by hand with a silicone spatula. 
4. Scoop the meringue into a heavy-bottom stainless-steel (not nonstick) saucepan (1 1/2 to 2 quarts; 1.4 to 2 L). Set the pan over low heat and cook, stirring continuously, for 8 to 10 minutes. You may think to yourself: What am I doing? Why did I make a glorious, glossy meringue only to watch it become a sticky mess? This is exactly what you want. As you cook and stir, the meringue will first loosen, and a film of egg may develop on the bottom of the pan. This is fine. After 5 or 6 minutes, the meringue will begin to stiffen and look slightly “thready” when you stir it—sort of like the threads of marshmallow that form when you make Rice Krispies Treats. Essentially, the mixture is now a soft nougat. Continue to cook until it has turned a couple of shades darker—a sort of pale caffè latte, or soft-serve chocolate if you’ve added cocoa powder—and has begun to pull away from the bottom and sides of the pan. Remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract (if using). 
5. Working quickly, lightly wet a clean surface with cold water and scrape the batter onto it, spreading it out a bit to stop the cooking process. Using a small (1 tablespoon) ice cream scoop or a metal spoon, drop mounds of meringue onto the prepared baking sheet. For jumbo-size cookies, use just under 2 tablespoons. You should end up with 12 to 20 total. For standard-size cookies, I make five rows, four mounds per row. For jumbo cookies, I make four rows of three. 
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, checking at the 20-minute mark. For cookies with a slightly soft center, remove from the oven when the outside is crispy and the inside is still slightly jiggly. For cookies that are crispy throughout, bake a few minutes more until they no longer jiggle. Keep in mind that the baking time will also depend on the size of your cookies. They will continue to crisp up as they cool so don’t overbake. Once out of the oven, let them cool right on the cookie sheet before gently lifting them off the parchment. Once cool, store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Prepping Nuts

Many recipes call for toasted and/or peeled or skinned nuts. To toast nuts, spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350° F (180° C) for 5 to 8 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until lightly browned and fragrant. You can buy peeled or skinned nuts, but if you’re starting with skin-on, follow these instructions to remove the skins from almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios.

Almonds Place raw, skin-on almonds in a heat-proof bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let sit for a minute or two to loosen the skins. Drain and rinse and use your fingers to pop the almonds out of their skins.

Hazelnuts Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Spread the shelled nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the skins start to crackle. Wrap the hot hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel and let stand about 1 minute. Roll the nuts back and forth in the towel to loosen and rub off the skins. Not all the skins will come off, which is fine.

PISTO NAPOLETANO

For Neapolitans, the perfume of the holidays and the perfume of this redolent spice are one and the same. It is the essential ingredient in both Roccocò, traditional Neapolitan Christmas cookies; and Quaresimali, crunchy Lenten almond cookies. 

MAKES ABOUT 1/3 CUP (40 G) 

1 tablespoon whole cloves 

1 tablespoon whole star anise 

1 tablespoon whole coriander seed 

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns 

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon 

1. Place the cloves, star anise, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a small skillet over medium heat and toast for 3 to 4 minutes, until the spices are fragrant, then remove from the heat and let cool completely. Grind the spices in a spice grinder until they are reduced to a powder. 
2. Mix all the spices together in a bowl, then transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. The spice blend will keep for up to 1 year.

SBRISOLONA (Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna)

Big Crumbly Cookie

This giant crumbly cookie is a specialty of Mantua, in Lombardy. But I first tasted it at a cooking class at the home of a chef from Parma, in Emilia-Romagna, where it is also popular. This makes sense, as Parma is just about an hour south of Mantua, and popular cookies tend to travel beyond their place of origin.

Also known as torta sbrisolona, the name of this cookie roughly translates to “crumbly cake.” It comes from the verb sbricolare, which means “to crumble.” The cookie was once upon a time prepared by farmers using simple ingredients that they were likely to have on hand—flour, cornmeal, sugar, a little lard or butter, and almonds. It was eaten as a snack to revive them after a long morning of work.

When assembling your sbrisolona, resist patting the sandy dough into the pan too firmly. It needs to be loosely packed in order to yield that fall-apart texture that makes it so irresistible. Once baked, is customary to break this cookie into irregular pieces for serving, though you can cut it with a knife for a neater presentation.

MAKES 1 LARGE COOKIE, TO SERVE 8 TO 10

3/4 cup (105 g) whole raw almonds, plus a handful more for decorating

1/2 cup (100 g) sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling

3/4 cup (100 g) unbleached all-purpose flour

2/3 cup (100 g) fine cornmeal (do not use coarse cornmeal or polenta or your cookie will be grainy and tough)

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

3 1/2 ounces (7 tablespoons; 100 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) cubes

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Line an 8-inch (20-cm) springform pan or cake pan with parchment. The easiest way to do this is to crumple up the parchment with your hands and then insert it into the pan; once crumpled, it’s easy to make the parchment fit.
2. Reserve 10 of the 3/4 cup (105 g) almonds and put the rest into the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar and process until the nuts are very finely ground, almost like almond flour. Take care not to overprocess or you will release the oils from the almonds. Pulse in the flour, cornmeal, and lemon zest.
3. Distribute the butter around the inside of the work bowl and pulse briefly to break it up into small pieces. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the vanilla and salt and pour this in through the feed tube of the food processor. Pulse until the mixture begins to look like damp sand. Pinch a small handful; it should clump together lightly. Toss in the reserved 10 almonds and pulse briefly to break them up a bit.
4. Remove the blade from the food processor. Scoop up handfuls of the almond mixture, lightly clumping it together, and spread it evenly into the parchment-lined pan. You can pat it lightly, but resist the urge to pack it in. Once it’s all in the pan, sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon sugar and decorate it with the handful of whole almonds.
5. Bake the sbrisolona for 30 to 35 minutes, until the center feels firm and it is lightly browned on top and around the edges. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, remove the sbrisolona from the pan by unlatching the ring (if using a springform pan), carefully lifting out the parchment (the edges will crumble easily), and transferring the sbrisolona to a plate. Break or cut into pieces and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Recipes excerpted from Italian Cookies: Authentic Recipes and Sweet Stories from Every Region by Domenica Marchetti. Photos by Lauren Volo. Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith Books.