Chewy Italian Almond Cookies
An Italian Christmas cookie that happens to be gluten-free is something to celebrate! These chewy almond cookies are part tea cookie, part post Italian dinner dessert. I promise these Italian almond cookies will become a family favorite at the holidays and all year long.
Servings 36 cookes
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups almond flour
- 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar divided
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 egg whites
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- 2 T apricot jam
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 T almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sliced almonds optional for topping
Instructions
- Whisk the almond flour, 1 ¾ cup confectioners sugar and baking soda together.2 ¼ cups almond flour, 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Use a hand mixer to whip the egg whites and lemon juice until frothy and foamy, about 2 minutes or so. Use a whisk to mix in apricot jam.2 egg whites, ½ tsp lemon juice, 2 T apricot jam
- Fold the whipped egg white mixture into the dry ingredients and then add in the zest and extracts.1 teaspoon orange zest, 1 T almond extract, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Roll the dough into a log (if it’s too sticky, it’s ok to roll in powdered sugar to make it easier to work with). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes - 1 hour.
- Lightly sprinkle a parchment covered baking sheet with powdered sugar.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and slice into 1” thick slices. Slightly shape each cookie into an oval and then dip each cookie into remaining powdered sugar. Slightly squeeze the edges/sides of the cookie to help give the small cracks that will naturally occur during baking a head start. Place onto the prepared baking sheet and let the cookies dry for about an hour.
- Before baking, sprinkle more powdered sugar over the cookies. Top each cookie with a a few sliced almonds, if using.Bake for 20 minutes at 320° until golden brown. Cool on the sheet pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack and cool completely. They will seem a little soft when you remove them from the oven but that’s ok - they’ll firm up to the best chewy texture. Enjoy!½ cup sliced almonds
Notes
Consider refrigerating the log before slicing from about 30 minutes up to 2 hours. Note: some readers have skipped the "log" step and refrigerated the dough in the bowl and then scooped out the cookie-sized balls from the bowl. Follow the instructions for rolling in the sugar and shaping as directed. I personally haven't tried this yet but will the next time I make them. 😊
