Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C fan (180°C regular) or 320°F convection (356°F regular).
- Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Sift the icing sugar onto a plate and set aside for coating the cookies later.
- Lightly whisk the egg whites with a fork until they are foamy, but not stiff.
- Combine the almond meal, white sugar, almond extract, and lemon zest with the whisked egg whites. Stir until the dough comes together (it will look dry at first, but keep mixing until smooth).
- Scoop out teaspoons of dough, roll each portion into a ball between your hands, then roll the balls in the sifted icing sugar to coat.
- Place the coated dough balls onto the prepared trays, leaving some space between them.
- Gently flatten each cookie slightly using your finger.
- Bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden around the edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the trays before handling.
- Once fully cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 4 weeks.
Nutrition
Notes
Paste di Mandorla are naturally gluten- and dairy-free, making them an easy option for gatherings and special diets. Store-bought almond meal or almond flour works best for a fine texture. If you don’t have almond extract, you can substitute with vanilla extract, but the cookies will have a less intense almond flavor. The dough may look dry before mixing, but it comes together as you stir. These cookies freeze beautifully and can be thawed at room temperature in about 10 minutes, so they’re great for baking ahead.