Ossa dei Morti: Crunchy Italian Bones of the Dead Almond Cookies for All Souls' Day

Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Serves 12 (makes about 36)

Ingredients

• 2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (120g) whole blanched almonds, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• Pinch of salt
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 large whole egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, chopped almonds, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg whites, whole egg, vanilla, almond extract and lemon zest until just combined.
4. Pour the eggs into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon, then knead briefly in the bowl until a stiff, slightly sticky dough forms. If it is too wet to handle, add flour one tablespoon at a time.
5. Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of dough and roll each on a floured surface into a 3-inch log, then press a knuckle into the center and pinch the ends so each piece looks like a small bone.
6. Space the cookies 1 1/2 inches apart on the sheets and bake for 18 to 22 minutes until pale golden with cracked tops. They will feel firm and sound hollow when tapped.
7. Cool completely on a rack; the cookies become very crunchy as they cool. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
8. Store in an airtight tin for up to 3 weeks. They are made for dunking into espresso, sweet wine or hot milk.
9. Ossa dei morti, literally bones of the dead, are baked across Italy for Il Giorno dei Morti on November 2, the day families visit cemeteries and leave sweets for departed relatives. Each region shapes them differently, from Sicily's hard sugar-crusted versions to Lombardy's soft almond cookies, but all are meant to keep for weeks and be shared. Their pale, knobbly, bone-like look makes them a wonderfully authentic addition to a Halloween dessert table.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 210 kcal
• Protein: 5g
• Fat: 5g
• Carbohydrates: 37g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 18g
• Sodium: 55mg