2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon almond extract
2 1/4 cups almond flour
2 1/4 powdered sugar divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. In a large bowl, add the egg whites and lemon juice and whip with a mixture until stiff peaks form. Gently fol in the orange zest, vanilla and almond extracts until combined. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, add the almond flour, 1 3/4 cups of powdered sugar and salt. Mix together and sift into egg whites, folding gently until combined. The mixture will form a sticky dough rather than a fluffy meringue.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball into the remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar, until well coated. Arrange balls on a baking sheet with some space between them for spreading and flatten slightly with the back of a spoon. Leave the balls uncovered at room temperature until the tops have dried out and almond formed a shell, about 1 hour (this may take longer in humid climates).
4. Preheat the oven to 300 F.
5. When the cookies have dried, place them in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.
Yields: 2 dozen cookies
