Name: Susamielli: Neapolitan Honey and Almond Christmas Biscuits
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 10 biscuits
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 125 g Plain flour (plus a little for the work surface); 125 g Mild honey; 30 g Sugar; 50 g Almonds, skins on (to grind finely); 5 g Ground cinnamon; 1 g Ground cloves; 1 pinch Baking ammonia, food-grade; 1 pinch Ground nutmeg; 15 ml Water, only if needed (add gradually, only if the dough is too stiff); 20 pieces Whole almonds, skins on (two per biscuit)

Pulse the almonds to a fine meal, stopping before they become oily. Add the optional water only if the dough will not come together. Begin checking the biscuits after 10 minutes: extra baking makes the cooled biscuits firmer. The two whole almonds per biscuit are the chosen finish for this batch.

Make ahead Allow 15 minutes of chilling before shaping and let the baked biscuits cool completely before packing. The total includes a 30-minute cooling allowance; preparation and cooling are planning estimates, and extra tray batches take longer. For a gift, include the ingredients and identify wheat and almonds.

Total: 1 hr 20 min
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 15 min
Yield: 10 biscuits

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Susamielli: Neapolitan Honey and Almond Christmas Biscuits

Total 1 hr 20 min · Prep 20 min · Cook 15 min · Yield 10 biscuits

Ingredients

Skip to the method

10 biscuits

Dough

125 g1 cup125 g
Plain flourplus a little for the work surface
125 g4½ oz125 g
Mild honey
30 g2½ tbsp30 g
Sugar
50 g1¾ oz50 g
Almonds, skins onto grind finely
5 g2 tsp5 g
Ground cinnamon
1 g
Ground cloves
1 pinch
Baking ammonia, food-grade
1 pinch
Ground nutmeg
15 ml1 tbsp15 ml
Water, only if neededadd gradually, only if the dough is too stiff

To finish

20 pieces
Whole almonds, skins ontwo per biscuit

Method

Pulse the dough almonds into a fine meal without turning them into a paste. Mix with the flour, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and baking ammonia.
Warm the honey gently over low heat until fluid. Stir it into the dry ingredients with a spoon, then knead when comfortable to handle. If the dough is too stiff to bind, add the optional water a little at a time.
Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Line a baking tray with paper and heat the conventional oven to 180°C.Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Line a baking tray with paper and heat the conventional oven to 350°F.
Divide into similar portions, following the selected yield. On a lightly floured surface roll each into a rope, curve the ends in opposite directions to form an S and flatten gently. Arrange on the tray with space between them. Press one whole almond into each curl.
Bake at 180°C conventional for about 10–15 minutes, checking from 10 minutes. The surface should be set and lightly golden; bake additional trays separately if necessary.Bake at 350°F conventional for about 10–15 minutes, checking from 10 minutes. The surface should be set and lightly golden; bake additional trays separately if necessary.
Transfer gently to a rack and cool completely before serving or packing. The biscuits become firmer as they cool.