Mandorlati del Gattopardo

Dessert

The Mandorlati del Gattopardo, also called Ricci Biscuits, are almond-based sweets, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, typical of Palma di Montechiaro. These sweets have become famous thanks to the famous novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa "Il Gattopardo". Even today they are prepared following the original recipe.
The key ingredient of these biscuits are Girgenti-Palma almonds, a set of varieties found in the area between Palma di Montechiaro and Agrigento. The almonds are chopped in a tool specially created by a craftsman for the nuns of the monastery.