Joe’s Almond Biscuits

As we move into the Christmas season it is time to get baking and Joe has shared his recipe for these delicious and easy to make almond biscuits.

The recipe will make 40 biscuits, however you can divide the mixture to make as many biscuits as you need. 100g of almond meal will make 10 biscuits, so adjust the other ingredients using 1/2 tsp of almond essence per 100g. There is no need to whip the egg whites and the dough that is formed can be made into a variety of shapes.

These delightful little biscuits are crunchy on the outside with a lovely, soft almond centre. They are just perfect with for that cup of tea or coffee. You may not be able to stop at one!

Joe’s Almond Biscuits:

Ingredients:

400g Almond meal ( 100g almond meal per 10 biscuits)
260g Caster Sugar
4 egg whites
2 tsp Almond essence
Sifted pure icing sugar as needed
Almonds for decorating

Method:

In a large stainless steel or glass bowl, thoroughly mix almond meal and caster sugar
In a separate bowl add the almond essence to the egg whites and mix
Then add the flavoured egg white mix to the mixture of almond meal and sugar and combine well together till uniform sticky paste is formed
Place some icing sugar on wooden board or on silicon mat and roll some of the mixture to form a long log of about 20 mm diameter
Cut the log into 20 to 25 mm long pieces
For round biscuits, roll each piece in the palm of your hands forming a ball, rolling them in the icing sugar
For ‘S” shaped or rectangles make a thinner log of 1.5cm diameter
Roll the log in icing sugar then cut into 7cm lengths (adjust to suit your needs)
Form these into ‘S’ or rectangle shapes
Place the almond balls and other shapes on the lined baking tray 25 cm apart and when tray is filled push an almond into the centre of each round biscuit, very slighlty indenting the centre with yourfingers
Bake in the pre heated oven at 165º C for 15 minutes, do not over cook.
When cooked remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes on the tray then remove to wire cooling racks to cool fully
Sprinkle some extra sifted icing sugar over the biscuits and store in tightly fitting containers. They keep longest when stored in a well sealed container in the fridge