Ricciarelli – Tuscan almond cookies

The night before you want to bake the ricciarelli, whip the egg whites with a drop of lemon juice until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold in the icing sugar and ground almond flour; then add the bitter almond extract, orange zest and vanilla seeds

Cover the bowl with cling film and place in the fridge overnight, or for at least for 4 hours

On the day of baking, place the extra icing sugar on a wooden board and roll the dough into a long sausage shape

Cut the dough into small balls. Using your hands, shape then into ovals, then gently flatten them a little

Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3

Dust liberally with extra icing sugar and arrange them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Space them out well as they tend to expand during baking

Bake in the oven for approximately 18 minutes. When you remove them from the oven, they will seem very soft – after cooling and setting they will firm up, so don't panic. Once cool, dust with a little extra icing sugar and serve. They can be kept in an airtight container if not serving immediately