Healthy Almond Cookie Recipe, Free of Dairy and Gluten

My aunt has long made these delicious almond cookies for our large clan of relatives over the Christmas holidays. Free of dairy and gluten, I would contend that these cookies are quite a bit healthier than most conventional store-bought baked goods. They're definitely a good source of easily absorbed protein, fiber, calcium, and magnesium.

Though the recipe calls for egg whites, my aunt has found that the cookies turn out just as scrumptious with the yolks included; the main difference in using just the whites seems to be a greater level of chewiness, so if you value chewy, better to skip the yolks and go with just the whites - either way, be sure to whisk well!

Ingredients:

2.5 cups of ground almonds
3 egg whites
Zest of half a lemon
1 teaspoon of pure almond extract
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
1 cup of sugar of your choice - brown, date, coconut, etc.

Directions:

1. In a good size bowl, whisk together 3 egg whites, zest of half a lemon, 1 teaspoon of pure almond extract, 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt, and 1 cup of sugar of your choice.

2. Add 2.5 cups of ground almonds (you can grind regular unroasted almonds in a food processor) and bring everything together until you have a homogenous batter.

3. Transform batter into about 1-inch balls (the quantities listed above will make about 48 small balls) and lay them out on a baking tray that is lined with a cookie sheet.

4. Gently insert one almond into the middle of each ball, leaving half of the almond exposed.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees F. At about the halfway point, you can turn your baking tray around to ensure even cooking of all cookies.

6. If you would like to finish with a light dusting of icing sugar, be sure to wait until the cookies have sufficiently cooled first.

Enjoy these delicious dairy-free and gluten-free almond cookies!