Cooks' note:
Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour
Yield
Makes about 50 cookies
Ingredients
4 1/4 cups whole blanched almonds (1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lemon or orange zest
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup lemon or sweet orange marmalade
Garnish: confectioners sugar
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Step 2
Pulse 3 3/4 cups (1 1/4 pounds) almonds with sugar, zest, and baking powder in a food processor until finely ground. Add egg whites, honey, and marmalade and blend just until dough forms a ball (dough will be very sticky).
Step 3
Roll tablespoons of dough into 1-inch balls and arrange about 1 inch apart on 2 parchment-paper–lined baking sheets. Flatten each ball into a 1 1/2-inch round with moistened fingers.
Step 4
Gently press a whole almond into center of each cookie. Bake in middle of oven until tops of cookies are light brown, about 20 minutes, then cool on baking sheets on racks.
Step 5
Dust with confectioners sugar.