Speedy Ricciarelli Recipe

2019 has had a touch of the Italiano to it so far. This is potentially because of England's surprisingly splendid Spring-like weather/ my fab timing for beginning to read Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms/ and the somewhat shocking amount of pasta I have consumed this week alone. So I decided to add to this zesty Mediterranean theme in my own cucina. With the help of Nigella L., and to prep me for my undoubtedly necessary journey to culinary self-sufficiency, I propped open How to be a Domestic Goddess and picked a Sienese Ricciarelli recipe - only, being still in a state of studenthood, instead of making them over the suggested course of 24 hours, I made them in about 40 minutes tops.

Ingredients (adapted from Nigella L.):

1 whole egg (rather than two egg whites - as a student/citizen of the planet, waste not want not with regards to the yolks)

200g brown sugar

Few drops vanilla essence

300g ground almonds

1 lemon zest

How to:
1. Whisk the egg until foamy, and then mix in the sugar - the mixture will become more solid by this point.
2. Add in the vanilla essence and lemon zest.
3. Stir in the ground almonds - you will have a very solid and crumbly mixture.
4. Shape the mixture into medium sized diamonds (making between 10 and 20) and place on a buttered tray/baking parchment.
*In order to make my Ricciarelli a more instantly gratifying treat, I miss out the "rest overnight" drying step, and simply coat the biscuits in icing sugar and bake*
5. Set the oven for 140degrees and bake for 30 speedy minutes.
6. Enjoy. (Gustare!)