Italian Almond Paste Cookies (Paste di Mandorla)

Paste di Mandorla or Italian Almond Paste Cookies are a traditional Sicilian cookie. They’re soft and chewy and full of delicious almond flavor. Super easy to make too.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• digital scale https://amzn.to/3dFMMoo

• large piping bags https://amzn.to/3Ev5iLy

• large star piping tube https://amzn.to/3nLr9Yn

• silpat nonstick baking mat https://amzn.to/3muHp0l

• almond flour https://amzn.to/3WmnjFP

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3ovS9fE

• pure almond extract https://amzn.to/34DcoBp

• glace, glazed, or candied cherries https://amzn.to/3hBMKmW

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Italian Almond Paste Cookies (Paste di Mandorla)

Makes 24 cookies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 250 grams almond flour, sifted

• 150 grams confectioner’s sugar, sifted

• pinch of salt

• 3 egg whites

• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 12 maraschino cherries, drained and cut in half (or glace, glazed, or candied cherries)

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, and salt; set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites, almond extract, and vanilla extract until very frothy (no liquid egg white in the bottom of the bowl).

3. Immediately stir the frothy egg whites into the almond flour mixture until a thick paste forms and no traces of dry ingredients remain (this can be done in a food processor too).

4. Transfer the cookie dough to a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip.

5. Pipe the cookie dough into 2-inch swirls (as shown) on silpat-lined half sheet pans, and press a cherry half into the center of each cookie.

6. Chill cookie dough for an hour before baking (or freeze for 20 minutes).

7. Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in center of oven.

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cookies brown on the edges; allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Notes

• Almond meal may be used in place of almond flour. You can also make almond flour by grinding blanched almonds in a food processor until until finely ground.

• Sheet pans can be lined with parchment instead of a silpat liners, but the parchment is more difficult to pipe the sticky cookie dough onto.

• Glace, Glazed, or Candied cherries can be used in place of maraschino cherries.

Old Fashioned Pound Cake

Although ingredient amounts can vary, pound cake is traditionally made with a pound of sugar, a pound of butter, a pound of flour, and a pound of eggs. Most recipe also contain leavening agents such baking powder or baking soda, but this recipe doesn’t call for either. So how does the cake rise? In baking, there are 3 kinds of leavening agents: 1) biological (from yeast), 2) chemical (from baking soda or baking powder), and 3) steam (from water) - in this case steam is created when the water content in the eggs reaches 212F.

Another thing that sets this recipe apart is the use of ground mace. Mace is a web-like aril found wrapped the nut of a nutmeg seed which is dried and ground. Mace is used in sweet and savory recipes (bratwurst). It adds a delicately warm and distinctive flavor. If you don’t have ground mace, feel free to make the recipe without, but I highly recommend it.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• loaf pan (single recipe) https://amzn.to/3HLvCmE

• baker’s joy https://amzn.to/34DbRiT

• bundt pan (double recipe) https://amzn.to/3E955hJ

• mini loaf pan https://amzn.to/2YHYSZT

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3ovS9fE

• ground mace https://amzn.to/2YOF5bm

• nonstick baking spray https://amzn.to/2XeWPw4

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Old Fashioned Pound Cake

makes one 8x4-inch loaf (see notes below to double recipe)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour, sifted

• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace

• 16 tablespoons butter, room temperature (1/2 pound)

• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

• 5 large eggs, room temperature

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F and place rack in center position.

2. Prepare 8x4 loaf pan with baking spray (like Baker’s Joy).

3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and ground mace; set aside.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, cream room temperature butter (see notes below) and sugar together for 5 minutes.

5. Add the eggs, one at a time; waiting 20 seconds after each addition.

6. Add the pure vanilla extract and lemon juice; mix just until combined.

7. With the mixer on low, slowly add the reserved flour mixture just until no trace of dry flour remains.

8. Pour batter in prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

9. Cool in pan for 10-15 minutes before turning out of pan; cool completely on a rack before serving.

Notes

• Recipe can also be baked in mini loaf pans or double the recipe and bake in a bundt pan (baking times will vary).

• Be sure to use room temperature butter (around 70F). Creaming the room temperature butter and sugar together as directed above contributes to a nice rise. If the butter melts, it won’t be able to suspend those air bubbles and your cake will be dense and greasy.