Italian Bread and Biscuits Recipes - Almond Biscuits (Biscotti a Mandorla) Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites

• 350 g/12 oz/2 cups icing (confectioners') sugar, sifted

• 5 ml/1 tsp grated nutmeg

• 5 ml/1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 450 g/1 lb/4 cups ground almonds

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

---

Method:

1. Place the egg whites in a bowl and whisk until stiff. Gradually fold in the icing sugar with the spices.

2. Beat well until the mixture forms a dropping consistency. Remove 90 ml/6 tbsp of the mixture and reserve. Continue to whisk the remaining mixture for 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the ground almonds and lemon juice and mix to a smooth paste. Wrap in Clingfilm (plastic wrap) and chill for 1 hour.

4. Dust a work surface with icing sugar and roll the paste out to 5 mm/1/4 in thick. Cut out shapes with biscuit cutters and place on greased baking sheets.

5. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/ gas mark 6 for 8 minutes until slightly browned. Remove from the oven.

6. Loosen the biscuits but do not remove. Brush the reserved meringue mixture over the surface of the biscuits and reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

7. Return the biscuits to the oven until the meringue has hardened without browning. If the meringue begins to brown open the oven door slightly.

8. Cool on wire racks and store in an airtight container.