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Italian Almond Cookies

2014 winner: Deceptively distinctive, with a festive hint of lemon.

December 3, 2014 at 9:02PM

Italian Almond Cookies (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Italian Almond Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Note: From winner William Teresa of Minneapolis. "These are not quite traditional Ricciarelli [pronounced REACH-a-RELL-ee], and nothing can replace the context of a loving Italian family," Teresa wrote in his entry. "But I think these are some of the tastiest cookies I've ever had. Almost every person who's tried them — and there have been many — has asked for the recipe, so I thought you might like it too." Almond flour (or blanched almond meal) is available in the specialty flours section of most supermarkets.

• 1 egg white

• 2 1/4 c. almond flour

• 3/4 c. granulated sugar

• Zest of 1 large lemon

• 1/2 tsp. honey

• 1 tsp. almond extract

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• Powdered sugar, for coating

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed (or using a whisk and beating by hand), beat egg white until soft peaks form.

In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, granulated sugar and lemon zest. Stir in beaten egg white, honey, almond extract and vanilla extract, and knead into a ball of dough (dough will be slightly sticky). Roll dough into a 1-inch thick log. Using a sharp knife, cut log at 1/2-inch intervals and form dough into egg-shaped cookies.

Fill a shallow bowl with powdered sugar. Roll cookies in powdered sugar, coating all sides and gently tapping off excess powdered sugar.

Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets (cookies spread only slightly) and bake until only slightly browned with a cracked exterior, about 15 to 20 minutes. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.