A while back I stumbled across a recipe for Amygdalota (aka “Greek Almond Cookies”) and I decided that I would have to try them. Not only do they look delicious, they taste delicious, they are really simple to bake, and who can pass up a gluten free cookie these days?
I only changed one thing from the original recipe, I used almond flour or “meal,” which was much easier than grinding blanched almonds. The results were amazing! I would have never thought that such a simple recipe could create such a yummy cookie. The texture and flavor is similar to an almond macaroon but a little thicker, and it is without the hefty price tag.
Creative Clue
We decorated these three different ways. The first, we pushed a whole roasted and salted almond into the top before baking (as recommended by the original recipe), this resulted in a pleasant crunch. The second, we grabbed a bunch of slivered almonds and pushed them into the center before baking, this gave a little bit of a crunch and an interesting texture to the tops of the cookies. The third, we took some cocoa nibs and pushed a pinch full into the top of each cookie in a similar manner to the slivered almonds, this offered a nice color contrast and a slight cocoa flavor.
We think we might try these next time with an almond glaze over top. The possibilities are endless!
- ½ pound (approximately 2 cups) almond meal or almond flour
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 2 large egg whites
- 18-24 whole almonds (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- In a small bowl combine the egg whites and extract with a fork or whisk until slightly foamy.
- Combine almond flour, sugar, and egg white mixture with a wooden spoon until it forms a thick dough.
- Roll dough in 1-inch (or smaller) balls onto prepared cookie sheets and press a whole almond into the top of each.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are firm and slightly golden in color.
- Allow to cool on wire racks before serving.