Almond Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond flour

• 1/2 cup fine granulated sugar

• 1 tsp finely orange zest

• 2 egg whites

• 1 teaspoon almond extract

• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

• Raw Almonds for topping cookies, optional

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix almond flour, sugar and orange zest together.

2. Place egg whites and almond extract in a medium bowl. With a hand-held or electric whisk, beat whites until soft peaks form.

3. Gently stir in the the flour mixture in the egg whites with a rubber spatula until incorporated and mixture has a dough-like consistency.

4. Heat oven to 350℉ or 325℉ convection oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment.

5. Using a spoon, make 16 to 18 little balls weighing about 20 grams each. Roll each ball in your palms to make a smooth round ball. Flatten slightly then dip into a bowl with confectioners’ sugar.

6. Place cookies 1 inch apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

7. Gently press a raw almond, if using, into center of each cookie.

8. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Yields: 16 to 18 cookies

Notes&Tips:

• These simple Almond Cookies have a nice crunch on the outside and softness on the inside. They are delicious and so easy to make.

• Almond Cookies work well with a nice hot cup of coffee or tea. A nice pick me up snack at mid-afternoon infuses that extra energy you need to fix dinner.