Sienese Almond Cookies
Sienese Almond Cookies
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
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
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.