Almond Wellington Cookies
Almond meringue with a white chocolate-like appearance that puffs up during baking to form fragrant almond macarons with a cracked top.
Ingredients
canned almond paste
¾cup
granulated sugar
1¼cup
lemon zest (finely grated)
2 tsp
large egg whites
3
sliced blanched almonds
½cup
Instructions
1
Prepare the baking sheets
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or foil.
2
Make the batter
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the almond paste, sugar, and lemon zest on low speed. Increase to medium speed and beat until the almond paste is broken up into lentil-sized pieces with no large chunks. Reduce to low speed and add the egg whites in three additions, mixing well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Increase to medium speed and beat until the batter is smooth, about 2 minutes.
3
Pipe and dry
Transfer the batter to a large piping bag fitted with a ½-inch plain round tip. Pipe 1½-inch mounds onto the baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the cookies, pressing gently to adhere. Leave uncovered at room temperature to dry for 8 hours (or up to 24 hours).
4
Preheat
Position two racks near the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F.
5
Bake
Bake the cookies for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until puffed and light golden brown. Cool on the pans for 2 minutes. Use a spatula to scrape the cookies off the pans (they will stick easily), cleaning the spatula occasionally, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
