Nut-dense Sicilian-style sliced almond bars made with egg whites and a little wheat flour, then dried on their cut faces; traditionally a Lenten cookie.
Sicilian Almond Quaresimali
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Allow about 145 minutes: 35 hands-on, 0 chilling or resting, 50 whole-batch cooking and 60 cooling/setting. Cooling includes tray rest. Follow the method for batch sizes and doneness cues.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Kitchen scale or US measures
- Electric mixer and clean bowl
- Mixing bowl and spatula
- Two parchment-lined 13 × 18-inch baking sheets
- Sharp serrated knife and cutting board
- Cooling racks
Nut-dense Sicilian-style sliced almond bars made with egg whites and a little wheat flour, then dried on their cut faces; traditionally a Lenten cookie.
Ingredients
Optional sprinkles are for decoration and are not included in the nutrition estimate. Spice weights are approximate.
Instructions
Mix the nut-heavy base
- 1Mix the nut-heavy baseHeat the oven to 350°F (177°C) conventional or 325°F (163°C) fan. Mix almond flour, wheat flour, cinnamon, citrus zests, salt and 115 g of the sugar. Keep the whole almonds separate until the dough is combined. No butter, oil, yolks or baking powder are used.
Fold in the sweetened whites
- 2Fold in the sweetened whitesWhip egg whites until foamy, then add the remaining 60 g sugar gradually and whip to glossy firm peaks. Fold into the almond mixture in two additions; it becomes a dense paste rather than remaining fluffy. Fold in the whole almonds. Do not taste the raw paste.
Bake flattened nut bars
- 3Bake flattened nut barsDivide the paste into two equal pieces on one lined large sheet. With a damp spatula, shape two flattened bars about 10 inches long, 2 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick, spaced 4 inches apart. Bake together for 22–25 minutes until set throughout and lightly golden. Allow 25 minutes for this bake.
Rest and slice straight across
- 4Rest and slice straight acrossCool the bars on the sheet for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven to 300°F (149°C) conventional or 275°F (135°C) fan. Cut each bar straight across into 14 pieces about 3/4 inch wide, using a sharp serrated knife and gentle sawing through the whole almonds. These are short rectangular nut-bar slices, not long diagonal cantucci.
Dry the cut faces
- 5Dry the cut facesLay the 28 pieces cut-side down across two lined sheets. Bake both sheets together for 12 minutes, turn the pieces and exchange sheet positions, then bake 13 minutes more, for 25 minutes drying and 50 minutes total cooking. The centers must be fully set and the cut faces dry, without wet egg-white paste.
Cool to a firm bite
- 6Cool to a firm biteCool on racks for 30 minutes before packing. Cooling totals 60 minutes, including the first 30-minute bar rest. Serve plain, with no sugar dusting, chocolate or icing.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
Almond flour and whole almonds dominate the formula; wheat flour is only a small binder.
Technique & texture
Straight crosswise cuts keep the pieces short and bar-like instead of resembling Tuscan cantucci.
Finishing & serving
Let the bars settle before cutting so the dense nut paste does not crumble around the whole almonds.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Up to 5 days | Keep fully dry, cooled bars airtight and separate from soft cookies. |
| Refrigerator | Not recommended for texture | Moisture can soften the dried almond bars. |
| Freezer | Up to 1 month, fully baked | Freeze completed cold bars airtight; do not freeze unbaked whipped paste. |
| Make ahead | Bake promptly after mixing | Prepare weighed ingredients ahead, then whip and bake in the same session. |
| Serving | After thawing | Thaw in the closed container at room temperature before opening. |
Notes
- Use a sharp serrated knife and the full 30-minute rest to cut cleanly through the whole almonds. This home formula has not been kitchen-tested.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving calculated from ingredient weights divided by 28; required fillings and toppings included, optional decorations excluded. Brands, unused coating and actual serving size affect the estimate.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are these Tuscan cantucci with another name?
No. This formula follows the Sicilian almond-flour and egg-white family, without butter, whole eggs or chemical leavening.
Are quaresimali originally Christmas cookies?
Their name and source tradition refer to Lent. They can be added to an assortment without making a Christmas-origin claim.
Can I omit the second bake?
The second bake dries the cut faces and sets the firm texture; complete it for this formula.
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