Italian Almond Cookies I Food

ITALIAN ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• Put half the almonds and half the sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process to obtain a coarse meal. Repeat with remaining almonds and sugar.
• Put egg whites and almond extract in a medium bowl. Using a wire whisk, beat whites until soft peaks form. Add the almond-sugar mixture to the whites and use a rubber spatula to incorporate the egg whites until you obtain a doughlike consistency.
• Use a spoon or small ice cream scoop to make 24 little blobs weighing about 1/2 ounce/20 grams. Roll each between 2 palms to make smooth spheres, then flatten them slightly. Roll them in a bowl of confectioners' sugar to coat well and place 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Use the end of a wooden spoon to make little round dents in each cookie. Fill dents with whole, unblanched almonds or Amarena cherries, if desired. Alternatively, leave cookies plain with smooth tops. Leave the tray of unbaked cookies at room temperature, uncovered, for 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until lightly browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

ITALIAN ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly oil 2 large baking sheets, then line with parchment paper.
• In food processor, combine 2 1/4 cups almonds and 1/3 cup sugar. Process until finely ground, scraping down sides once or twice. Set aside.
• In electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt at high speed until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to medium and gradually sprinkle in remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Return speed to high and beat mixture until stiff, shiny peaks form. Gently fold in ground almond mixture and almond and vanilla extracts.
• Roll mixture into 1-inch balls, place 2 inches apart on baking sheets, and flatten slightly. Top each with glacéed cherry or almond. Bake until cookies are golden, switching positions of pans halfway through, about 25 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Cookies keep, wrapped, several days, or frozen, several weeks. Recrisp in warm oven.

ITALIAN ALMOND COOKIES II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F (175 degrees C).
• Grease cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl, use your hands to mix together the almond paste, flour, egg whites, white sugar and confectioners' sugar until well blended.
• The mixture will be very sticky.
• Place the sliced almonds into a small bowl.
• Scoop out rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough and drop them into the almonds.
• Roll until completely coated.
• Place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.
• Cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

ITALIAN ALMOND COOKIES II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl, use your hands to mix together the almond paste, flour, egg whites, white sugar and confectioners' sugar until well blended. The mixture will be very sticky. Place the sliced almonds into a small bowl. Scoop out rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough and drop them into the almonds. Roll until completely coated. Place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

ITALIAN ALMOND-ICED COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 baking pans. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), mix the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy. With the mixer running, drizzle in the oil, vanilla, almond extract and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your hands, form into logs 1-inch in diameter. Working in batches if necessary, cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices and arrange the cookies on the sheet pans. Bake until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.
• Icing: In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, egg white, confectioners' sugar and almond extract until smooth. Divide the icing into one large and two smaller batches. Leave the large batch of icing white; color the other 2 to your liking.
• When the cookies are cool, dip the tops into the white icing. Use a fork or a squeeze bottle to drizzle the cookies with the other colors. Let set in a cool place 1 hour.

ITALIAN ALMOND CRESCENT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cream together butter and 2/3 cup powdered sugar until fluffy.
• Beat in extracts then add chopped almonds.
• Stir in flour and beat until well mixed.
• Chill for 30 minutes.
• Divide dough in 1/2 and roll each half into a log 1" thick in diameter.
• Cut each log into 3/4" pieces and roll each piece into a cylinder 2" long.
• Place 1-2" apart on prepared baking sheet and form into crescents with your fingers.
• Bake 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Let cool.
• Fill a small bowl with sifted powdered sugar and roll cooled cookies into it coating well.