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Paste di mandorla
Soft almond paste cookies
Soft Sicilian almond-paste cookies
Every Sicilian pasticceria keeps a tray of these by the till: small, pale, crackled mounds of almond paste, crisp on the outside and soft and chewy within, each crowned with a whole almond or half a candied cherry. They appear at weddings, christenings and on Sunday trays bought after Mass, and they are wonderful with an espresso or a glass of chilled almond milk. Made from ground almonds, sugar and egg white, they are naturally gluten free and dairy free. A strip of lemon zest and a little honey keep them moist for days. Chef's tip: rest the shaped cookies uncovered for an hour, or overnight in the fridge, so a thin skin forms and they crack attractively in the oven; baking them too long is the classic error, and they turn hard right through.
- Total time
- 38 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the almond paste
- 9 oz ground almondsfinely ground, blanched
- 6 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp almond extract
To finish
- 1 ⅜ oz icing sugarfor rolling
- 6 glacé cherrieshalved
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz ground almonds, 6 ½ oz caster sugar and 1 tsp lemon zest in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp honey, ¼ tsp almond extract and most of 2 egg whites and mix to a soft, sticky paste that holds its shape; add the last of the egg white only if it is crumbly.
Step 2: Spread 1 ⅜ oz icing sugar on a plate. Roll heaped tablespoons of paste (about 25 g) into balls, then roll them in the sugar.
Step 3: Set them on a lined tray and pinch each one slightly into a dome or a short S-shape. Press 12 whole blanched almonds into half of them and 6 glacé cherries into the rest.
Step 4: Leave uncovered at room temperature for 1 hour, or chill overnight, so the outsides dry slightly.
60 minStep 5: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
Step 6: Bake for 12–14 minutes, until the cracks show and the bases are barely golden, while the tops stay pale; they should still feel soft when pressed.
13 minStep 7: Cool on the tray, where they firm up. Store airtight for up to a week; they get chewier after a day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does paste di mandorla take?
- About 38 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 13 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- 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 ground almonds?
- Ground cashews, same amount.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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