Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound and 2 ounces (500 g) blanched peeled almonds
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar
- 4 egg whites
- A chunk of unsalted butter
- Freshly grated orange zest
- Vanilla
- 3 cups (300 g) Flour
Preparation:
Begin by peeling the skins off a pound plus 2 ounces (1/2 k) of almonds, after blanching them in briskly boiling water. Once they're skinned pat them dry and toast them lightly in a pot. Next, grind them up, taking care lest they shed their oil (use a blender, grinding in quick bursts, if you prefer; do NOT liquefy them). Combine the almonds with 1 1/2 cups (300 g) of sugar and 3, or even four lightly beaten egg whites, then work in a walnut-sized chunk of unsalted butter, grated orange zest to taste (I'd figure the grated zest of half a medium-sized orange), a few drops of vanilla extract, and about 3 cups (300 g) flour. Kneed until you have an evenly mixed, not overly stiff dough.Dust your hands with flour lest the dough stick to them and roll chunks of it out between your palms to obtain so many half-inch thick snakes. Cut the snakes into small pieces and flatten them with your fingers to shape them into fava beans.
Lightly beat a couple of the yolks and brush the beans with yolk, then put them on a greased and floured cookie sheet and bake them in a moderate (350F, 175 C) oven for about 20 minutes.
In addition to vanilla, some cooks use ground coriander and powdered cinnamon in the dough; figure at least 2 teaspoons for the volumes given. To make bones, shape the dough into somewhat larger balls or cylinders, and omit the egg yolk. As a final variation, some like to use whole coriander seeds.
These are rather like cherries, and you may find yourself eating "just one more." They go quite well with Aleatico or Moscato, both of which are sweet dessert wines.
