Italian Almond Orange Cookies Recipes

ITALIAN ALMOND-ORANGE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix egg whites, sugar, orange zest and honey with a whisk until smooth.
• Add the almond flour and baking powder and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until moist and all of the dry ingredients are absorbed into the wet and combined.
• Cover and refrigerate for one hour and as long as 24 hours. I made my dough the night before then baked the next morning.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees F with two racks in top two positions.
• Cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl.
• Roll the dough on your counter with your hands into a fat log and cut it into two equal pieces.
• Roll each piece out into logs and cut in half then each piece in half again. Then cut each piece into three. This will give you 24 pieces.
• Roll each piece into a ball then roll in the powdered sugar then onto the cookie sheets, 12 per tray.
• Bake both together for 15-17 minutes, rotating the pans half way through.
• The cookies are done when they start to crackle and flatten out and are slightly browned on the bottom. The centers will be very soft so don't go by the feel of the cookie and don't lift off the cookie sheet yet.
• As they cool on the cookie sheet, they stiffen up and have a crisp outside and a chewy center.
• Store at room temperature in an air-tight container.

ITALIAN ALMOND COOKIES II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl, use your hands to mix together the almond paste, flour, egg whites, white sugar and confectioners' sugar until well blended. The mixture will be very sticky. Place the sliced almonds into a small bowl. Scoop out rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough and drop them into the almonds. Roll until completely coated. Place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

ITALIAN ORANGE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cream the shortening then beat in the juice, sugar, orange extract and orange zest (mixture will appear curdled) until well combined. Blend in the eggs and beat well.
• Mix in all of the baking powder and flour, 1 cup at a time, blending well. Once you've added 6 cups of flour, add the remaining flour just until mixture can be rolled into a ball (batter will be sticky).
• Refrigerate the dough covered for several hours or even overnight.
• Fill a low dish with sifted icing sugar. Using a small cookie scoop. scoop several balls of the cold dough into a plate. Roll the cookies into a smooth ball then roll in the icing sugar. Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet, about 2 " apart.
• Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, rotating the baking trays half way through the baking process. Do not overbake, cookies should be light in colour.

CHEWY ORANGE-ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
• In the bowl of a food processor, blend 3 1/2 ounces almonds (about 1 cup) with a cup sugar until almonds are finely ground. Transfer almond mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in flour, orange zest, and crushed anise seeds.
• Using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar to soft glossy peaks. Fold egg-white mixture into dry ingredients until just blended.
• Spoon level tablespoons of batter 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using remaining 3/4 ounce almonds, arrange 3 sliced almonds on each cookie. Sift confectioners' sugar over cookies. Bake until cookies are lightly browned along edges, about 12 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from sheets with a spatula.

ITALIAN ORANGE-FIG COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place almond paste, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar in a food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. Add preserves and 1 egg white at a time, pulsing after each addition to combine. Transfer almond mixture to a large bowl; fold in figs and orange peel (dough will be sticky)., Place remaining sugars in separate shallow bowls. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough into sugar. Gently coat and shape into 1-1/4-in. balls. Repeat in confectioners' sugar. Place 1 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 24-28 minutes or until tops are cracked and bottoms are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.