Name: Amaretti Biscuits
Ingredients: 180g ground almonds; 120g caster sugar; 1 lemon, finely zested; ½ tsp natural almond extract; 1 pinch salt; 2 egg whites; 1 tbsp honey; 100g flaked almonds; Icing sugar

Biscuit Christmas

Makes 15-20 biscuits

Not so much a pudding as a treat to be there in the cupboard, ready to be picked at throughout the festive period. Their chewy texture and deep almond aroma are immediate spirit-lifters.

Ingredients

180g	ground almonds
120g	caster sugar
1	lemon, finely zested
½ tsp	natural almond extract
1	pinch salt
2	egg whites
1 tbsp	honey
100g	flaked almonds
	Icing sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/ gas mark 3. In a bowl, mix together the ground almonds, caster sugar, lemon zest, almond essence and salt. Rub everything together with your fingertips to disperse the zest and essence evenly.
Whip the egg whites and honey until firm peaks form. With a large, metal spoon, gently fold the meringue into the almond and sugar mix, to get a soft but malleable paste. With your hands, roll the paste into 20g rounds. Flatten them a little, roll in a plate of flaked almonds to cover, then roll in plenty of icing sugar. Put on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake for 14-18 minutes - they should turn a very light golden colour, but stay relatively pale and chewy in the centre. Leave to cool completely before storing in a sealed jar.