Italian Cherry Almond Cookies (dairy free & gluten free!)
User Reviews
5
Italian Cherry Almond Cookies (dairy free & gluten free!)
Description
These Italian Cherry Almond Cookies combine almond flour, granulated sugar, lemon zest, and egg whites to form a dough that is slightly crumbly but becomes sticky enough to roll into small balls. Rolling the dough balls in powdered sugar before baking creates a light coating that adds sweetness and texture after baking. Placing a maraschino cherry into each cookie’s center indentation brightens the flavor and yields visually appealing cookies.
The cookies bake until the bottoms and edges just turn golden, maintaining a tender interior with subtle citrus notes from the lemon zest and almond undertones from the flour and extract. Cooling on the pan before transferring to a wire rack helps the cookies set and prevents breaking.
A straightforward ingredient list makes these cookies suitable for those avoiding gluten and dairy, while the almond flavor and cherries make them distinctive. They are ideal for serving at gatherings or alongside tea. If cherries are unavailable, cherry jam can be substituted in the indentation for a similar flavor profile.
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ almond flour 252g
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
- 1 lemon small, zested
- 2 egg whites from 2 large eggs
- ¾ teaspoon almond extract
- ¾ cup powdered sugar 90g
- 18 maraschino cherries or luxardo cherries, drained and patted dry; from 11 ounce jar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sugar and lemon zest.
- Add in the egg whites and almond extract and mix with a wooden spoon or a fork until a dough forms. It’s okay if it is somewhat crumbly. Keep working at it until it becomes sticky. Roll into approximately 18 dough balls.
- Add powdered sugar to a shallow bowl. Roll each dough ball in powdered sugar then place on the cookie sheet, approximately 1-inch apart.
- Add drained cherries to a plate or cutting board and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Use your thumb to gently make an indentation into each dough ball. The dough will likely crack a bit on the sides but that’s okay! Place a cherry into each indentation.
- Bake for 14 to 18 minutes until the dough is just slightly golden on the bottom edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- If maraschino or Luxardo cherries are unavailable, substitute each cherry with ½ teaspoon of cherry jam placed in the indentation before baking.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 18cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 146 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1cookie | |
| Calories | 146cal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 17.9g | 6% |
| Protein | 3.6g | 7% |
| Fat | 7.5g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat | 0.5g | 3% |
| Fiber | 1.1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 16.7g | 33% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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