Sicily is renowned for its citrus fruits, its pistachio nuts and almonds. All these products make fantastic ingredients for sweets. Ingredients (for 25 cookies):
250 gr. of almond meal
175 gr. of caster sugar + more to sprinkle on the top
2 egg whites
1 tsp of lemon zest
25 candied cherries
Beat the egg whites until stiff with an electric mixer. Then add the almond meal, sugar and lemon zest. Mix well until the dough comes together. Put spoonfuls of dough on a baking tray covered with baking paper.Make sure to leave some space between the cookies as they will expand while baking. Add a cherry on each spoonful of dough and sprinkle a little caster sugar on the top.
Let the cookies rest for 10 hours in a dry place BEFORE baking them. Then cook them in a preheated oven at 125°C fan forced for 10-12 minutes.
They have to remain whitish in colour… if you overcook them, they will become very hard! Serve them at room temperature with a cup of tea or coffee…