Cookie Recipe #68 - Amaretti Crisps

This is definitely a coffee-dunking cookie. Replace your morning doughnut with one of these crunchy almond rings.

Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups sliced almond, toasted, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 2 egg whites, room temperature, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.

Instructions: Place the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place mixing bowl and whisk beaters in freezer for further use. Remove toasted almonds from oven. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees; line baking sheets with parchment paper. Process almonds and confectioners' sugar in a food processor until ground to a fine powder. (This is an important step-I used a small electric chopper and I think I didn't get the almonds chopped up fine enough thus causing problems further down the line). Transfer ground mixture to a bowl; set aside.

Put egg whites in the cold mixing bowl and using the cold beaters, mix on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into almond mixture; fold in almond extract.

Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch plain round tip. Pipe twenty 2 inch rings onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart (this is where I had difficulty-I couldn't get the mixture to pass through the tip because the almonds were still too big. I took a small spoon and formed a circle with the dough, by hand. It seemed to work.)

Bake cookies in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Transfer cookies to wire racks and allow to cool completely.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days; makes about 20 crisps.

"Martha Stewart's Cookies", published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, New York, in 2008.

Cookies Rule!!!