Sienese Almond Cookies

Sienese Almond Cookies
3.4 from 27 ratings
The first time I tasted Sienese almond cookies was in Tuscany, in fact not too far from Siena. My husband Marc and I were vacationing at Borgo Pretale, an enchanting hotel tucked away in luscious green hills, surrounded by lavender, vineyards and sunflower fields — the quintessential Tuscan destination!
Servings
24
servings
Ingredients
  • 1 3/4 cup almond meal or almond flour*
  • 2 tablespoon unbleached white flour
  • 3/4 cup plus 1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Place the almond meal, flour, ¾ cup of the sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Stir until well blended. Place the egg whites and almond extract in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whip at high speed until firm peaks form.
  3. Add the whipped egg whites to the almond mixture and stir with a silicone spatula until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix or the cookies will be heavy. The dough will be soft and a bit sticky.
  4. Sprinkle the remaining powdered sugar on a work surface and on your fingers. Using a teaspoon, grab a bit of the dough (about the size of a large olive). Drop the small mound of dough in the powdered sugar and roll it around until well covered with the powdered sugar. Shape into a 2-by-½-inch lozenge and gently flatten the top with the tips of your fingers.
  5. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Repeat until you have shaped 24 lozenges. Bake until the cookies have risen and are pale golden, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 2 or 3 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool until room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.