Guy’s Favorite Italian Almond Paste Cookies

November 2, 2018

These among a few others, are my husband Guy’s favorite cookies. Every October when I start the holiday baking cycle, he looks forward to what he can sample each day as a little treat to go with a cup of tea. I have caught him a few times down in my designated cookie freezer snitching his favorites. By the time Christmas rolls around, I have made over 25 kinds of cookies, most of which will be given away as gifts to neighbors and friends and of course, we will enjoy them too well into the summer months! We have been known to eat Christmas cookies in July! How do they keep that long you say? They are well wrapped in small packages of 4 to 6 cookies in Press N’Seal and that keeps them perfectly frozen without any ice crystals or freezer odor invading their delicate taste.

These Italian almond paste cookies are the ones I make for him as his private stash. But I want to share the recipe with you so you can enjoy them too.

Guy’s Favorite Italian Almond Paste Cookies
Makes 24

8 ounces good almond paste
¼ cup flour
2 egg whites from extra large eggs
Dash salt
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup confectioners sugar
2/3 cup sliced almonds

In the bowl of a stand mixer, break up the almond paste with your hands until it is in small pieces. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the almonds, and on medium speed, blend all the ingredients until well incorporated.

The dough will be tacky so use spoons to form the balls.

Place the almonds in a separate bowl.

Preheat the oven to 350F or 325F if using convection

Use two spoons to gather up the dough and drop large teaspoon size balls into the bowl with the almonds; coat all sides and place the balls parchment lined baking sheets

Bake the cookies, rotating the trays until they are golden brown; transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

Note: To store for future use; freeze them in batches of 4 or 6 well wrapped in Press N’Seal. Pop them into plastic bags and freeze. They won’t last long.

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