Amygdalota (Greek Almond Cookies)
Make amygdalota, Greek almond cookies with orange zest and a sliced-almond coating. Bake until lightly golden, then cool and dust with icing sugar.
Ingredients
- 720 ml Bob’s red mill almond flour
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp freshly grated orange zest
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 egg whites, room temperature
- 240 ml sliced almonds
- Icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 175 °C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Move one of the oven racks to the centre of your oven.
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In a large mixing bowl combine the almond flour, sugar, orange zest, salt, almond extract and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Set aside.
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To a clean and dry medium mixing bowl add the egg whites. Use a hand mixer with the whisk attachment to whip the egg whites, starting on low speed and gradually increasing the speed, until they form stiff peaks - this can take 7-10 minutes.
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Use a spatula to gently transfer the whipped egg whites to the bowl with the almond flour mixture. Gently fold the egg whites into the almond flour mixture, gently mixing until the egg whites are fully incorporated and the dough is a paste-like consistency.
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Scoop about 2 tablespoons per cookie and roll each into a ball. Roll each cookie ball in the sliced almonds, pressing gently so the almond slices stick to the cookie and then place each cookie ball on the baking sheet. Once all cookies are rolled and on the baking sheets, flatten each cookie a bit with your hands or the back of a spoon (put a little oil on the back of the spoon so it doesn't stick to the cookies).
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Bake each batch of cookies for 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden brown around the edges and set. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
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Once the cookies are fully cooled, lightly dust with icing sugar.
Notes
Committed to this collection by the hand of Hunter.
Getting the almond coating and finish right
Press the sliced almonds gently onto each dough ball so they stick before you set it on the baking sheet. Flatten the coated cookies a little, and if you're using the back of a spoon and the dough sticks, a little bit of oil can go on the spoon to help with handling.
Look for lightly golden edges and cookies that have set when checking if they're done.
Leave the baked cookies on their sheet for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. The icing sugar comes last.
If you're making them for a particular time, allow for that full cooling period, as well as the prep and baking.
Tips for the egg whites and dough
The egg whites are the part to give your attention to before you start shaping. You're looking for stiff peaks: when you lift the whisk, the tips should stand upright and hold their shape. A bowl of bubbles or peaks that curl over isn't going to work. The recipe allows 7-10 minutes for whipping, so watch the whites and the clock.
Keep the bowl and whisk clean, and avoid getting yolk into the whites. Grease and yolk can interfere with whipping. Once the whites are ready, switch to a spatula for folding. The finished dough should have a paste-like consistency, with the whites fully incorporated. That's the cue to look for before scooping. You aren't trying to keep the mixture looking like the fluffy whites you started with.
A little orange makes a difference: Fresh orange zest brings a bright citrus note to the dough, alongside the almond and vanilla.
