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Golden-edged fave dei morti cookies dusted with powdered sugar, piled on a rustic ceramic plate under soft window light.

Soft Almond Fave dei Morti Cookies for Fall

Soft almond cookies shaped like beans, flavored with lemon zest and cinnamon, baked for All Souls' Day.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 44 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 225
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g almond flour, finely ground blanched
  • 150 g granulated sugar
  • 100 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 50 g unsalted butter softened, not melted
  • 1 egg large
  • 1 tsp lemon zest from 1 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract or vanilla extract
  • 24 pieces pine nuts optional, for topping
  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar for dusting

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 170 C / 340 F and line a 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk the almond flour, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, and salt together until evenly combined.
  3. Add the softened butter, egg, lemon zest, and almond extract. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until the dough comes together into a soft, slightly sticky mass, similar to marzipan.
  4. Cover the bowl and rest the dough at room temperature for 15 minutes. This firms the butter slightly and makes shaping easier, skip it and the dough sticks to your palms.
  5. Scoop portions of about 23 g, a heaping tablespoon, and roll each into a short log. Flatten and taper the ends to form a bean shape, roughly 6 cm long.
  6. Arrange the shaped cookies on the sheet pan, spacing them 3 cm apart. Press a pine nut into the center of each one, if using.
  7. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges turn pale gold and the tops stay light in color. Pull them as soon as the edges color, if the tops brown the cookies will bake dry instead of staying soft in the middle.
  8. Cool the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. Dust with powdered sugar once fully cool, just before serving.

Notes

  • Weigh the almond flour rather than scooping, packed almond flour makes dry, crumbly dough.
  • Rest dough 15 minutes before shaping so it's firm enough to roll.
  • Pull cookies as soon as edges turn gold, they finish softening as they cool.
  • Store unbaked shaped dough in the freezer for a make-ahead holiday batch.