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almond paste cookies with almond slices

Italian Almond Paste Cookies (Almond Macaroons)


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4.9 from 9 reviews

  • Author: Kelly
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 27 cookies 1x

Description

Easy Italian Almond Paste Cookies are moist and chewy on the inside, crispy and crunchy on the outside. Made with just a few ingredients, they’re super easy to make and naturally gluten-free.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 16 oz almond Paste - (store bought or this almond paste recipe)
  • 1 cup (198g) sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large egg whites (60g), lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • Sliced almonds for rolling
  • Optional: powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Break up the almond paste into 1 inch pieces and put it in the bowl of a food processor. Add the sugar, salt, egg whites, and almond extract and process until a smooth paste forms. The dough will be wet and sticky, but you will be able to roll it into balls between your hands.
  3. Chill the dough for 1 hour or up to 3 days.
  4. Scoop out rounded tablespoons of dough and roll into 1 inch balls, about 25 grams each.
  5. Press almond slices onto the sides of the cookie. The stickiness of the dough will help the nuts stick.
  6. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet 2 inches apart and bake until the bottom edges are starting to turn golden, about 15-18 minutes. Don’t overbake.
  7. Cool on a rack.
  8. Optional: Dust cooled cookies with powdered sugar.

Notes

Makes about 27 cookies if the dough balls are 25 grams each.

Don’t overbake or the cookies won’t be soft and chewy inside.

The cookies with almond paste can also be made using a stand mixer or hand mixer. Mix the almond paste, sugar, and salt until crumbly. Then mix in the egg whites and almond extract.

Chilling the dough isn’t absolutely necessary, however, when unchilled they will spread a little more during baking.

If using store bought almond paste, well known brands such as Odense and Solo come in 7 and 8 ounce packages. Using 14-16 ounces in this recipe is fine.

  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 COOKIE
  • Calories: 102
  • Sugar: 13.9 g
  • Sodium: 7.8 mg
  • Fat: 4.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 15.1 g
  • Protein: 2.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg