These Almond Paste Cookies are for all you almond flavor fans! They are a uniquely textured cookie, with a crunchy exterior and a sweet, dense, chewy interior. They are based on a traditional Italian cookie and have many variations and add-ins.
I have never tasted them before making them myself, but they remind me of the filling inside of my beloved Bear Claw pastries. I love anything almond!
To make these Almond Paste Cookies, start by beating four egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set them aside. Then cream almond paste and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Almond paste can be found in the baking aisle and is usually sold in a small box. This recipe calls for one pound of almond paste, or two boxes. Flour is then added to the sandy sugar and almond paste mixture, along with salt and almond extract. Lastly, add the beaten egg whites and mix until a stiff but sticky dough forms.
Scoop the dough into roughly one-inch balls. Press lightly crushed sliced almonds all around the dough balls, and place them on a baking sheet. I used a silicone baking mat, and the cookies did not stick at all. I did see some recipe reviews say that they stuck to a plain baking sheet. You could also try spraying parchment paper with a bit of nonstick spray, just to be sure.
These cookies bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the edges around the bottom are golden. That seems like a long bake time for cookies, but they did not taste dry or overbaked at all. I love how pretty they look with a little dusting of powdered sugar. I hope you enjoy these unique cookies!
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Almond Paste Cookies
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 3 dozen 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
These Almond Paste Cookies are a uniquely textured almond cookie, with a crunchy exterior and a sweet, dense, chewy interior.
Ingredients
- 4 egg whites
- 16 ounces almond paste (not marzipan)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup sliced almonds, crushed lightly
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper.
- Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Cut almond paste into one-inch cubes. Add to the bowl of an electric stand mixer along with granulated sugar and powdered sugar. With the paddle mixer, beat until the texture is sandy.
- Add flour, salt, and almond extract and mix. Then add beaten egg whites, and mix on low speed until a dough forms.
- Scoop dough into rounded tablespoon-sized balls, and coat with sliced almonds. Place on lined baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden.
Notes
This recipe is adapted from Dishing Delish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 124
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 37mg
- Fat: 5.1g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1.1g
- Protein: 2.5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Debra G says
I’ve been wanting to make these for a few weeks now and was waiting for my grocery store to get almond extract. Finally made these cookies this morning. I don’t have a paddle mixer, so made do with my small hand mixer and my bare hands. Dough seemed very wet, but I was still able to grab a spoonful and drop it into a bowl of almonds to coat. The cook time for my oven was just a few minutes less than what the recipe calls for, so check your oven around 15 minutes for doneness. Very sweet cookie that would go well with a good cup of coffee!
Kristen says
Dough is very soupy. I think maybe the egg white measurements aren’t accurate
Laura says
These cookies are FANTASTIC!
Lorraine Butts says
I love these cookies and not very complicated, but most of all Delicious!!!!! Thank you 😊
Scarlet says
This Italian style almond past cookie is such a special treat. I never had them homemade before so they were so fun to try. And delicious!
Angelica Ciarrocchi says
The came flat , spread out , not like the picture !
I was a little disappointed ! What could I have done wrong ?
Connie says
I think it depends on the size of the egg and how determined we are to get all of the white away from the yolk. Mine were barely domed . Next time I’ll add more flour or some almond flour.
Nancie says
Can I sub almond flower to make them GF? If so is the measurement the same ?