Here is a nice cookie for our gluten free friends and those celebrating Passover later this month. It is not too sweet, with lots of nutty flavor and a soft, chewy texture. You can make it with only almonds but I added some roasted, salted Macadamia nuts because I love them! I also added lemon rind instead of the traditional orange rind which gave them a sharp citrus bite in contrast to the nuts. Either way, these are delicious and will be sure to make your gluten free friends happy!
Honey Macadamia and Almond Macaroons
Ingredients:
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/4 cup organic Ohia Lehua honey
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon grated organic orange rind or lemon rind ( or a mixture)
- 1 cup whole almonds
- 1/3 cup roasted salted Macadamia nuts
- pinch of salt
- 12 whole almonds cut in half
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 300F. Line a baking pan with lightly greased parchment paper.
- Grind the almonds and the macadamia nuts together in 2 batches in a blender until finely ground being careful not to grind to a butter! ( keep the 12 whole nuts for later)
- In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium sped until foamy. Add the pinch of salt and increase the speed to medium high, beat until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and the honey by the teaspoon , continuing to beat. Scrape the side of the bowl with a spatula so that the honey gets mixed well into the egg whites. Continue beating on medium high until the whites form glossy peaks , about 5 minutes.
- Fold in the almond extract, the citrus zest and lastly, the ground nuts.
- Drop the mixture by the tablespoon about 1 1/2 inches apart on to the prepared baking sheets. Place 1/2 almond in the center of each mound. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Transfer the cookies to a rack and let cool completely before storing them in a loosely covered container.
