Almond Cookies

Steps

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1. 1
   Gather all ingredients. For the lemon, use only the yellow zest, discarding the white pith.
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2. 2
   Soak the almonds in hot water for 2–3 minutes to soften and loosen the skins.
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3. 3
   Drain the hot water and rinse the almonds with cold water, then drain well.
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4. 4
   Gently rub the almonds between your hands to remove the skins. Some will slip off naturally; squeeze others gently between your fingertips. Set aside a few whole almonds for decorating the cookies.
   ▶ ≈2:53
5. 5
   Make sure the peeled almonds are completely dry. Process them in a food processor until finely ground.
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6. 6
   In a large bowl, combine the ground almonds, sugar, flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt.
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7. 7
   Add the lemon zest and mix all dry ingredients together gently.
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8. 8
   Add the egg whites, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Mix until all ingredients come together into a moist dough.
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9. 9
   Prepare powdered sugar for coating. Gently knead the dough until it holds together, then roll into balls of roughly equal size. Coat each ball generously in powdered sugar.
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10. 10
    Place one whole peeled almond on top of each ball and press it in gently.
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11. 11
    Preheat the oven to 315°F. Place the cookies on a baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes, until the bottoms turn light golden brown while the tops remain white.
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12. 12
    Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on a cooling rack or serving tray before serving.
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