Ricciarelli

Directions

1. 1
   Line a baking sheet with baking or parchment paper.
2. 2
   Mix the almonds with the caster sugar,2/3 of the icing sugar, all the baking powder and the orange zest.
3. 3
   In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks, then stir them into the almond mixture.
4. 4
   Using a large spoon, mash the mixture to a wet, sticky mass.
5. 5
   Stir in the almond extract.
6. 6
   Form oval or torpedo shapes about 2.5 inches long, roll in the remaining powdered sugar, and flatten slightly.
7. 7
   Put them onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, allowing room to spread slightly (mine doubled in size), and sift the remaining powdered sugar over the tops.
8. 8
   Leave the cookies at room temperature for about 2-3 hours to dry a little before baking.
9. 9
   Preheat the oven to 275F/140°C
10. 10
    Bake the cookies for about 30 minutes, or until they are lightly golden and a little firm on the outside (the insides should still be soft). Turn the baking tray halfway through cooking if your oven demands this type of attention (mine is rather unreliable, so I got half of them over cooked so the insides weren't soft).
11. 11
    Cool completely and store in an airtight container.