Crunchy, chewy, sweet, and nutty, these Italian Almond Cookies are one of the best things to come out of my kitchen.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
1 hourhr
Total Time1 hourhr35 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 30cookies
Calories: 73kcal
Ingredients
8ouncesalmond pasteNOT marzipan or almond cake filling
⅔cupsugar
2egg whites
¼cupsliced almonds
½cupbittersweet or semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
In the bowl of a food processor, break up the almond paste. I simply used the pulse feature on my processor for a few seconds at a time, scraping the sides as needed. It only took a few minutes to turn the almost rock-hard paste into fine sand-like pieces. Add the sugar in two stages, processing for a few seconds each time to combine.
In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the almond mixture into the egg whites, making sure the mixture is well-combined. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat or parchment paper (This is required for these cookies. They will stick to the baking sheet without it.)
Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheet. Press a few sliced almonds into the top of each cookie, pressing down slightly to flatten each ball of dough. Bake for 14-15 minutes, until each cookie is just barely browned at the edge. Cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack. Let the cookies cool completely before drizzling with chocolate.
Place the chocolate in a glass dish and melt in the microwave 30-60 seconds at a time at 50% power, stirring at intervals. Drizzle or dip the cookies as desired and place them on a parchment lined tray and chill until firm. Enjoy!
Notes
Almond Paste can be found in the baking aisle in many grocery stores. It is typically sold in an 8 ounce can. The paste will be very firm and the food processor step is required in order to work with it. The paste will not blend with the other ingredients until it has been broken into a granular mixture.