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Mandorlini Del Ponte

📍 Pontelagoscuro ★ 4.5
Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Reviewed by the WhatWhereVacay editorial team

Mandorlini Del Ponte is one of the classic dishes in the cookie tradition of Italy.

About Mandorlini Del Ponte

Mandorlini Del Ponte is one of the classic dishes in the cookie tradition of Italy. It is a sweet treat that appears at celebrations and family tables.

🏛️ History & Culture

Mandorlini are part of Italy’s long-standing tradition of almond-based cookies, with similar preparations found across the country, particularly in northern regions where almonds are abundant. The specific “Del Ponte” variant, however, does not have a widely documented or singular origin story; its history is debated or largely unrecorded in mainstream culinary sources, and the name’s connection to a particular bridge or locale remains unclear.

Across Italy, almond cookies vary in texture and sweetness—from soft, chewy amaretti in Piedmont to crisper, drier versions in the south—reflecting local preferences and available ingredients. Mandorlini Del Ponte, like other mandorlini, are typically served during holidays, weddings, and family gatherings, embodying the Italian custom of homemade sweets that bring celebratory cheer to the table.

🍳 How to make Mandorlini Del Ponte

AI-assisted, not kitchen-tested

Mandorlini del Ponte

Crisp, golden almond cookies from the Ligurian village of Ceparana, traditionally made on a bridge over the Vara river for the village's patron saint festival. They have a delicate crackled crust and a soft, marzipan-like center.

Prep
20 min
Cook
25 min
Total
45 min
Serves
24 cookies
Difficulty
Easy

Recipe ingredients

  • 250 g (9 oz) blanched almonds, skinless, as required for the pale dough
  • 200 g (1 cup) caster sugar
  • 30 g (¼ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 2 g (½ tsp) baking powder
  • 2 g (½ tsp) vanilla extract, or one vanilla bean, seeds scraped
  • 1 g lemon zest, finely grated zest of one unwaxed lemon
  • 2 whole egg whites, from large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 g (pinch) fine salt
  • 30 g (¼ cup) whole blanched almonds, for topping each cookie
  • 10 g (2 tsp) icing (confectioners') sugar, for dusting

Steps

  1. 1 Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F (fan 160°C / 320°F). Line two baking trays with baking parchment.
  2. 2 Pulse the 250 g blanched almonds with the caster sugar in a food processor until you have a fine, sandy meal. Do not over-process or it will turn into almond butter.
  3. 3 Add the flour, baking powder, vanilla, lemon zest and salt; pulse briefly to combine.
  4. 4 Add the egg whites and pulse just until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. If too soft to handle, chill for 15 minutes.
  5. 5 Scoop tablespoons of dough (about 20 g / 0.7 oz each) and roll between lightly damp hands into smooth balls.
  6. 6 Place the balls on the prepared trays, spacing them about 4 cm / 1½ in apart. Press one whole blanched almond gently into the top of each.
  7. 7 Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the cookies are set, pale gold at the base and just barely coloured on top. They should feel firm on the outside.
  8. 8 Let cool on the tray for 5 minutes (they firm up as they cool), then transfer to a wire rack.
  9. 9 Dust with icing sugar once completely cold. Store in an airtight tin for up to 10 days.
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