Yesterday I discovered a roll of leftover almond paste in our freezer. “Leftover” from holiday baking and Italian Rainbow Cookies. Last December in my baking frenzy, I discovered I couldn’t purchase a pre-made roll of almond paste, I rolled my own. That was very satisfying, but I had quite a bit more paste than I could use, so I froze the remainder for “later”.

“Later” turned out to be yesterday. This recipe for Almond Cloud cookies, while gluten free, is not egg-free, so not for our granddaughter with an egg allergy. Still, the grown-ups enjoyed these, and with a little tweak (orange extract in place of almond extract), I could almost imagine a little after-dinner sweet in Italy.

Almond Cloud Cookie

Recipe from King Arthur Baking

Ingredients

• one batch DIY Almond Paste, prepared (or use an 8 oz. roll of premade)
• 1 c granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c almond flour
• 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp almond extract (I substituted about 1/2 tsp orange extract, could also use lemon, but be careful not to overpower the flavors)
• confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease two baking sheets, or line with parchment.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend the almond paste, sugar, salt, and almond flour until the mixture is uniformly crumbly.
3. Add the egg whites one at a time, mixing to make a smooth paste. Stir in the extract.
4. Scoop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared pans. You should have about 24 cookies.
5. Dust the cookies generously with confectioners’ sugar, then use three fingers to press an indentation into the center of each cookie. 
6. Bake the cookies for 18 to 22 minutes, just until they’re brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan on a rack.
7. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days; freeze for longer storage.