Cooking with Love

with Gianna Conte    (Jan)

The smell of almonds reminds me of Christmas

The smell of almonds reminds me of Christmas

Almond Chews

These cookies were a last minute cookie for my daughter who does not eat white flour.

These are the ingredients:

1 large egg

1/2 cup white sugar

Beat until light and fluffy.

Add to egg mixture:

2 TBS amaretto liquore

2 tsp almond extract

Add to combine:

1 3/4 cup almond flour

2 TBS white flour (shh, don't tell my daughter)

1/4 tsp baking powder

With spatula, combine to create a dough.

In separate small bowl, add 2 TBS powdered sugar for dredging cookies before baking.

Maraschino cherries, halved and drained or roasted almonds can be added to each cookie before baking.

The oven should be preheated to 350. Prepare cookie sheet with parchment paper. NO need to grease the pan.

The cookies should be 1 1/2 inch ball. I got 31 cookies. They don't expand, so you can put all the cookies on one tray.

Bake for 12- 14 minutes. Careful not to burn.



Let's get baking!


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees


 1 whole thin skinned orange, remove the stem and cut in quarters. Keep the skin on the oranges.

In a clean large food processor, add the orange quarters, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, three large eggs, 1 tsp of vanilla, 1 tsp of orange extract, 1 tbsp of Triple Sec liqueur, optional, 2/3 cup vegetable oil. 


Pulse all ingredients in the processor and then puree until mixture becomes a batter with specs of orange peel.


Add to the processor:


2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt


Process all dry ingredients until they are entirely incorporated into the batter.


Bake in a greased and floured spring pan, using a parchment paper circle on top of the greased bottom.*


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place in the center rack of the oven.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven.


Remove from your oven and let it cool down completely. Dust with powdered sugar or make a drizzle of 1/4 cup powdered sugar and fresh squeezed orange until thick and smooth.  Pour onto the cooled fresh orange cake.


*if you don't have a large processor, you can use a blender.


Enjoy with some espresso and close your eyes and it will feel like you're in Sicily.