There is no butter and no wheat flour here. Two cups of finely ground almond flour are bound with whipped egg whites and flavoured with almond and vanilla extract.
The sticky dough is scooped, rolled in granulated sugar and then heavily in powdered sugar. In a moderate 325°F oven the domes crack open through that white coating.
What Each Stage Should Look Like
Three cues carry these cookies.
Egg whites
Soft peaks that fold over at the tip.
Stiff whites make the dough dry and hard to roll.
After coating
No dough visible through the powdered sugar.
A thin coat will not crack.
16 to 18 minutes
Deep cracks and lightly golden edges.
That is a set shell over a chewy centre.
How to Make It
Sheets lined
Heat the oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
Almond base
Whisk the almond flour, 1 cup sugar and salt.
Whites folded in
Beat the egg whites to soft peaks, then fold them into the almond mixture with the almond and vanilla extracts to make a sticky dough.
Rolled in two sugars
Scoop 18 portions. Roll each in granulated sugar and then heavily in powdered sugar, shaping into domed balls.
Baked
Bake 16 to 18 minutes, until deeply cracked and lightly golden at the edges. Cool completely on the pan.
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour
- Two cups, finely ground; coarser meal makes a heavier cookie.
- Egg whites
- Two, beaten to soft peaks before folding.
- Almond extract
- Half a teaspoon, which carries most of the flavour.
Why This Recipe Works
- Whipping the whites to soft peaks first lightens an otherwise dense dough.
- A heavy powdered-sugar coat is what cracks as the cookies spread.
- A moderate oven sets the outside while the centre stays chewy.
- Cooling on the pan lets the soft cookies firm enough to lift.
Success Tips
- Keep your hands damp when shaping; the dough is deliberately sticky.
- Coat the balls so heavily that no dough shows through the powdered sugar.
- Leave them on the pan until cold, or they break when moved.
Serving Ideas
Pile them on a plate with coffee; they keep their crackled surface for days.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Store airtight at room temperature; the chewy centre holds well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there wheat flour in these?
No. The dough is almond flour, sugar and egg whites.
How do the cracks form?
The heavy powdered-sugar coating splits as the domes spread in the oven.
