Orange-Flower Water and Almond Crinkles

These cookies are an amalgamation of various recipes I have made throughout my life: my family’s macarrones de almendra, which are still made at the pastry shop; the macarons at Maison Adam in Saint-Jean-de-Luz; and Moroccan ghriba or ghoriba. They are very simple to put together—a mixture of almonds, sugar, and egg—and as the name indicates, they are cracked on the outside and chewy on the inside. If you prefer not to use orange-flower water, substitute with 2 additional teaspoons of finely grated orange zest. You can flavor the crinkles with vanilla, cinnamon, rose water, lemon zest, or anything you prefer.

MAKES 15 COOKIES

Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple Book Cover Aran Goyoaga

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ cups (150 g) almond flour

• 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, plus more for dusting

• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon orange-flower water

• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten 

DIRECTIONS 

1.    Preheat the broiler on high. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.    Mix the almond flour, powdered sugar, lemon juice, orange-flower water, orange zest, and half of the beaten egg in a medium bowl. Add a bit more egg until the dough is moist and sticky, almost like thick cake batter. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. 

3.    Spread some powdered sugar on a plate. Wet your hands and scoop 1 tablespoon of dough into them. Roll it into a 1-inch ball with your palms, then roll it in the powdered sugar. Place the dough on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.

4.    Put the baking sheet in the hot oven, turn it off, and bake the cookies undisturbed for 12 to 15 minutes, until they are cracked and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes. They will keep for 1 week in an airtight container.

©2021 by Aran Goyoaga. Excerpted from Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple by permission of Sasquatch Books.

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