Amaretti cookies

I've always read that the key to a successful relationship is compromise. For me, such compromises take the form of putting away my shoes, cleaning out my work bag when I return home, and tolerating a colder than preferred house. (If I had to guess, Justin's compromises would be putting away my shoes, cleaning out my work bag, and keeping the house warmer than he prefers!) Nonetheless, few people warn you about how to deal with your loved one's peculiar habits. Now, hubby is pretty white bread, but he has one peculiarity: he is addicted to caffeinated diet soda. I find this so strange. Does this man ever drink water other than what drips into his drinks as the ice cubes melt? I guess the reason I really don't like it is that I'm afraid of what decades of ingesting chemicals will do to him. So, I've devised a strategy; I will switch him from soda to coffee! Believe it or not, Justin is doing quite well during this time of transition. He's drinking more water and only regressed one time last week.

So you might be asking yourself what Justin's love of caffeinated diet soda has to do with Amaretti cookies. I'm glad you asked! Last Saturday we were in the mood for an adventure and drove out to Durham to check out Pizzeria Toro (http://www.pizzeriatoro.com/).  Justin of course ordered an espresso to top off our delightful meal and for $1 extra you could get an Amaretti cookie. Um, wow! I could have eaten 10 of these cookies with a strong almond flavor. So, I of course went right home and found a recipe so I could indulge my new addiction. BTW - this recipe is super-easy, so you don't even have to wait very long to indulge!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups of almond flour -or- 3 cups of blanched slivered almonds, finely ground up
• 1 1/4 cup of baker's sugar (superfine sugar)
• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of almond extract
• Extra sugar for dusting

Method

1 Preheat oven to 300 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2 In a food processor mill together the almond flour and sugar. Add the vanilla and almond extract and pulse for a few seconds. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to process until the dough is smooth.
3 Place teaspoons of the dough on the parchment paper and dust with sugar. I usually bake them for 20-22 minutes since I prefer them chewy. If you'd prefer your cookies more like biscotti, bake for 24-27 minutes. 

Yield: Makes about 30 cookies.