Croquants aux amandes
Crunchy almond biscuits
Croquants aux amandes (croquants de Cordes): hard, crunchy whole-almond biscuits from the south
Croquants are the hard, crunchy almond biscuits of southern France, from Nîmes and Cordes-sur-Ciel in the Tarn to the Languedoc, made with egg whites, sugar and whole almonds and baked until they snap; they are dunked in coffee or a glass of milk. The common mistake is underbaking them, so they are chewy instead of crisp. Chef's tip: bake them until golden all over, then turn off the oven and leave them inside to dry for 10 minutes.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz whole almonds, skin on
- 5 ½ oz caster sugar
- 3 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 lemon zestfinely grated
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan). Mix the 5 ½ oz whole almonds, skin on, 5 ½ oz caster sugar, 3 ½ oz plain flour and 1 lemon zest, then stir in the 2 egg whites to a thick, sticky dough.
5 minStep 2: Spoon small heaps 5 cm apart on lined trays and flatten slightly with a wet finger.
5 minStep 3: Bake for 18–20 minutes until golden brown, then turn off the oven and leave them inside with the door ajar for 10 minutes.
20 minStep 4: Cool on a rack; keep airtight for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 70 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does croquants aux amandes take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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