These Italian almond shortbread cookies are called frollini alle mandorle, meaning crumbly almond cookies. In fact, they are not chewy like the ricciarelli, as they are made with flour, butter and egg yolks and get their flavor from the toasted almonds. Depending on the festivities, you can cut them into different shapes.
Come the holidays, I keep this dough in the freezer as a backup. I just need to defrost the dough the night before and bake the cookies at the last minute, the same as my butter cookies.
For Christmas I cut them into stars with half a cocktail cherry in the middle. For Halloween they become pumpkins decorated with pomegranate seeds, and for any occasion I cut plain rounds with a fluted cutter.
For more Italian cookies, you can check my cudduraci Easter cookies, chiacchiere and mini meringues.
Almond frollini and pasta frolla
These almond frollini are similar to pasta frolla, the Italian shortcrust pastry, but the dough is made with egg yolks only.
The other difference is the Sicilian almonds, which are toasted before they go into the dough.
Together, the yolks and the almonds make these cookies more crumbly, crunchier and more fragrant than a plain pasta frolla.
Ingredients
You need the following ingredients:
- Almonds give the cookies their flavour, and you can buy them whole or already ground. I use almonds from Sicily.
- Sugar: regular or brown sugar sweetens the dough.
- Plain white flour is the base of the dough.
- Butter should be at room temperature.
- Egg yolks bind the dough.
- Vanillin sugar and salt flavour the dough.
- Cocktail cherries in red, green and yellow decorate each star.
- Pomegranate seeds decorate the Halloween pumpkins.
Find the measurements in the recipe card.
Step by step instructions
Note: If you bought whole almonds, drop them into boiling water to peel them, then grind them after toasting.
Toast the ground almonds in a pan until they are lightly toasted.
Let the almonds cool.
Put the toasted almonds, the flour, the vanillin sugar and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add the butter and the egg yolks.
Mix until you have a smooth, even dough.
Wrap the dough in greaseproof paper and let the dough rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, line two large baking trays with a silicone baking sheet or with baking paper.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured worktop to a thickness of ½ cm (about ¼ inch).
Cut out the shapes with the cookie cutters.
Cut the cherries in half.
Knead the trimmings together and roll them out again until the dough is used up.
Press half a cherry gently into the centre of each star.
Place the cookies on the trays.
Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 15 minutes, until the cookies are cooked and lightly golden.
Lift the cookies off with a spatula.
Let them cool on a rack.
Note: The dough can be made ahead and frozen, like the dough of my butter cookies with Bronte pistachios.
Serving suggestions
Serve the frollini in a glass bowl next to my Italian cream pudding, or with my homemade VOV at the end of a meal.
They can also be served with my vanilla, chocolate and pistachio gelato, stracciatella or strawberry gelato, and with my lime, pineapple or uva fragola sorbets.
FAQ
Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes, the dough can be made ahead and frozen, like the dough of my butter cookies with Bronte pistachios.
How thick should I roll the dough?
Roll it to a thickness of ½ cm (about ¼ inch).
Can I cut them into other shapes?
Yes, depending on the festivities you can cut them into different shapes, like stars, pumpkins or fluted rounds.
Can I make the dough by hand instead of with a stand mixer?
Yes, the dough will look crumbly at the beginning and it will form a uniform dough eventually. Keep mixing.
Can I use almond flour?
For a better texture, use ground almonds, not almond flour.
Why did my cookies spread in the oven?
You need to keep the dough cold in the fridge before baking.
Why does my dough crumble when I roll it?
It is the butter, but the dough will get uniform eventually.
How long do the cookies keep?
In an airtight container, they keep for a week.
More Italian cookies recipes
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Italian Almond Shortbread Cookies (Frollini alle Mandorle)
Verified Culinary AuthorityIngredients
- 1 cup ground almonds
- ⅓ cup sugar regular or brown
- 1 cups plain flour, plus extra for rolling
- ½ cup butter at room temperature
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoon vanilla sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 9 red cocktail cherries for decoration
- pomegranate seeds for the Halloween version
Instructions
- Toast the ground almonds in a pan until they are lightly toasted.
- Let the almonds cool.
- Put the toasted almonds, the flour, the vanillin sugar and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add the butter and the egg yolks.
- Mix until you have a smooth, even dough.
- Wrap the dough in greaseproof paper and let the dough rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, line two large baking trays with a silicone baking sheet or with baking paper.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured worktop to a thickness of ½ cm (about ¼ inch).
- Cut out the shapes with the cookie cutters.
- Cut the cherries in half.
- Knead the trimmings together and roll them out again until the dough is used up.
- Press half a cherry gently into the centre of each star.
- Place the cookies on the trays.
- Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 15 minutes, until the cookies are cooked and lightly golden.
- Lift the cookies off with a spatula.
- Let them cool on a rack.
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