Making almond paste cookies is really simple; with few ingredients, we can prepare delicious pastries to accompany coffee and tea; or we can gift them for festive occasions. They are small, delicious, fragrant, perfect for using up leftover egg whites from previous preparations.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 14
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, Autumn, Winter and Spring
Ingredients
- 4.4 oz Toasted almonds
- 2.5 tbsp Egg white (medium)
- 1 cup Powdered sugar
- 1 pinch Fine salt
- to taste Grated orange zest
- to taste Almonds and hazelnuts
Preparation
Place the almonds, salt, grated orange zest, and sugar in a food processor and grind until the nuts are powdered.
Add the egg white and mix just enough to obtain a soft yet compact dough.
Transfer it into a pastry bag with a star nozzle.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and “squeeze” the dough directly onto the paper.
Place an almond (or a hazelnut, candied cherry, etc.) on each cookie, cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap without touching the cookies, and let them “rest” in the fridge for at least 8/10 hours.
After the resting time, preheat the oven to 320°F and when it’s hot, bake the tray (remember to remove the plastic wrap) at mid-height for about 15/20 minutes.
Check the baking of our cookies often, as prolonged baking would make them too hard.
As soon as the cookies detach from the parchment paper, turn off the oven and let them rest in the turned-off oven for five more minutes. Once baked, our almond paste cookies will have a softer texture compared to when they’re cold. They can be stored in a tightly closed tin box.
Bon appetit
