Almond Cloud Cookies With Dried Apricots
The holidays are right around the corner, and for those of you who enjoy baking holiday cookies, this tasty cookie is a must. Tender, slightly sweet, with just a slight chew and chock full of almonds, for me, this is precisely what a holiday cookie should be. I make a few different almond cookies each Christmas, some with almond paste, some with ground almonds, but this cookie that I made for the first time last year was a huge hit with my family. I used dried apricots in this version, but dried cherries or cranberries would also work just fine.
It may sound excessive to roll the cookies in two kinds of sugar, but since the cookie itself is not very sweet, this step is necessary both to add sweetness and create a light crust on the cookie. These cookies are best made close to when you plan to serve them, as they dry out rather quickly. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
If you have difficulty finding ground almonds, also called almond flour, you can pulse blanched almonds in your food processor until finely ground.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Almond Cloud Cookies With Dried Apricots
Tender, slightly chewy holiday cookies chock full of almonds and dried apricots.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups Ground Almonds
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- Pinch Fine Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Almond Extract
- 1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Dried Apricots
- 2 Large Egg Whites At Room Temperature
Topping:
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 1/3 Cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put the ground almonds, sugar, salt, extract and chopped apricots in a bowl and stir until mixed.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites briskly until very foamy.
Add whites to almond mixture and stir to mix.
Put the topping sugars in separate small bowls, and with wet hands scoop out golf ball sized balls of the almond mixture, and roll into balls.
Roll each ball in the sugar, then powdered sugar until coated.
Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet and gently pinch the top with your thumb and index finger.
Lightly dust cookies with a little extra powdered sugar, then bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies begin to brown.
Cool on rack then store in airtight container.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 22 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 103Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 58mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 2g
