CookEat Recipe
Fave dei Morti Almond Biscuits
Small bean-shaped almond biscuits scented with lemon, with two further versions giving a higher proportion of almonds or a fine almond-and-egg-white dough.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 210 g plain flour: 200 g for the dough and 10 g for the tray; 100 g caster sugar; 100 g blanched sweet almonds; 35 g butter: 30 g for the dough and 5 g for the tray; 2 eggs: 1 for the dough and 1 beaten separately for glazing, using only as much glaze as needed; Finely grated zest of ½ lemon; About 15–30 ml brandy, only as much as needed for a soft dough.
Step 2
Heat the oven to 170°C. Lightly grease two baking trays with the reserved 5 g butter and dust with the 10 g tray flour. Grind the blanched almonds with the caster sugar until the pieces are about half a grain of rice in size, rather than a smooth paste.
Step 3
Mix the ground almonds and sugar with 200 g flour, 30 g softened butter, one egg and the lemon zest. Add brandy a teaspoon at a time only until a fairly soft workable dough forms. Do not make a wet batter; the amount depends on the egg and flour.
Step 4
Divide into about 60–70 small pieces. Shape each like a plump large bean, making a shallow curved indentation along one side if needed. Put on the trays with a little space between them and brush lightly with the separately beaten glazing egg.
Step 5
Bake for about 10–15 minutes until lightly coloured, set through and at least 74°C in a representative centre. Check early because the biscuits are small. Cool on a rack before storing in an airtight container. Instead of the lemon, the dough may be scented with about ½ teaspoon cinnamon or 1 teaspoon orange-flower water, reducing the brandy slightly if using the water.
Step 6
For the second family version, use 200 g blanched sweet almonds, 100 g caster sugar, 100 g dough flour, 30 g dough butter and one egg. Allow another 5 g butter and 10 g flour for the trays and one separately beaten egg for a light glaze. Grind almonds and sugar to the same half-rice-grain texture, combine with the flour, butter, egg and lemon zest or the alternative flavouring above, and add about 15–30 ml brandy only as needed for a fairly soft dough. Shape 60–70 little beans, glaze and bake at 170°C for about 10–15 minutes until set through and at least 74°C in the centre.
Step 7
For the finer third version, use 200 g blanched sweet almonds, 200 g icing sugar, 2 egg whites and finely grated zest of ½ lemon. Dry the almonds at 120°C for about 10–15 minutes without browning, then cool. Grind very finely, adding the two unwhipped whites gradually to make a paste. Add the icing sugar last with the zest and mix to a dough. Do not add the butter, dough flour, caster sugar or brandy from either family version.
Step 8
For this third version only, lightly flour the work surface with about 5–10 g flour and roll the almond paste into a round log. Divide into 40 or more pieces and shape as beans. Use a tray lightly greased with 5 g butter and dusted with about 5 g flour. If glazing as for the other versions, use a separate beaten egg and brush very lightly. Bake at 170°C for about 10–15 minutes until set through, lightly coloured and at least 74°C in a representative centre. Cool before storing. The small amount of shaping and tray flour means this is not presented as gluten-free.
Step 9
Clear rosolio may replace the brandy in either of the first two versions in the same small added amounts. The third version needs neither spirit because its two whites provide the moisture. Keep the three formulas separate rather than combining their ingredients.
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