Almond Cookies

By fireandfrost

By popular demand below is the recipe for the Chewy Almond-Cherry Cookies, from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian."

Ingredients

• 3 cups almonds
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 5 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chopped dried cherries
• confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

1) Put the almonds and sugar in a food processor and pulse until the almonds are finely chopped.
2) Put the egg whites in a large bowl and beat until foamy; add the vanilla and beat a bit more. Gradually add the almond mixture and cherries, stirring until a loose, sticky dough forms. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3) When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 305 degrees F. Put teaspoon size or larger mounds of dough about 3 inches apart on nonstick baking sheets or sheets lined with parchment or wax paper. Bake until lightly browned and hardened on the outside, 20 to 25 minutes. (Keep the remaining dough in the refrigerator while the first batch bakes.) Cool the cookies completely on the sheets, then remove with a spatula. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving if you like. These keep well in an airtight container for up to 3 days.