These almond pastries are delicious, and with the aroma of orange zest, they become even more so. They are sweets that can also be prepared during the Christmas season and gifted to friends and relatives, arranged on trays, wrapped, and decorated with ribbons. Delicate pastries, perfect for enjoying with a good coffee or a cup of tea, perhaps while chatting with friends.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 50 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 105.14 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 8.61 (g) of which sugars 8.17 (g)
- Proteins 2.24 (g)
- Fat 6.74 (g) of which saturated 0.00 (g)of which unsaturated 0.00 (g)
- Fibers 1.52 (g)
- Sodium 8.47 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 22 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Almond Pastries
- 4 cups almond flour
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 3 egg whites
- 1 orange
- to taste powdered sugar
- to taste blanched almonds
- to taste candied cherries
Tools for Almond Pastries
- 1 Bowl
- Parchment Paper
- 1 Strainer
- Plastic Wrap
Procedure for Almond Pastries
To make this recipe, you need almond flour. If you have whole almonds, you can make it by following this procedure.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the almonds, a few at a time, letting them soak for a few minutes until the outer skin softens and can be easily removed.
Then, drain and peel them, pressing gently with your fingers. The skin will slide off, leaving the almond white.
Continue this way until all the almonds are peeled, reheating the water each time you add more almonds with skin.
Next, dry the almonds in the oven at a very low temperature around 212°F, as they should not be toasted but just lose their moisture. Stir them often.
To test if the almonds are well dried, take one and break it with your fingers. It should break without bending.
Once cooled, place them, a few at a time, in a coffee grinder or blender, along with some tablespoons of sugar, and grind to a flour. In this way, the almonds will not release oil.
Another way to prevent almonds from releasing oil is to freeze them, let them freeze, and then grind them into flour, a few at a time.
In a bowl, mix the almond flour with sugar, egg whites, and grated orange zest, and blend well.
Knead all the ingredients, and if the dough is too firm, beat another egg white in a small bowl and gradually add until you get a soft but firm dough. Remember, do not add the whole egg white.
If the dough is too soft, the pastries may flatten too much during baking. Carefully evaluate if more egg white is needed.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours or overnight.
After the time has passed, take the almond dough out of the fridge and start creating the pastries. The amount for each sweet should be about the size of a walnut.
Roll the mounds of dough between the palms of your hands to form spheres. Roll them in powdered sugar placed in a small bowl, trying to coat them well, leaving the part that will rest on the baking sheet without sugar.
Insert almonds into each sweet or place a piece of candied cherry on top of each. Bake in a preheated oven at 338°F for 15-20 minutes in the center of the oven. The pastries should remain pale.
Once baked, they will be soft. Do not touch them until they are completely cooled when they will become firmer.
Now, just place them on a tray and enjoy them alone, with company, or offer them as gifts for the holidays.
Enjoy your tasting!
FAQ
Do the almonds necessarily need to be dried in the oven?
No, if it’s summertime, they can be dried in the sun. It will take a bit more time in this case.
How can I store them?
They can be stored in a tin box or on a tray under a glass dome. If you want to store them for a very long time, they can also be placed in the freezer.
