Ugly But Good Cookies: Brutti ma Buoni

Ingredients

• 1 pound sliced almonds, lightly toasted
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 7 large egg whites
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Butter and sugar for greasing the cookie sheet

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl or the bowl of electric stand mixture fitted with a whisk attachment, begin whisking the eggs to eventually form glossy, medium-hard peaks. Once the egg whites are foamy, begin slowly adding the sugar to the mixture, then the vanilla and cinnamon. When the eggs form glossy, medium-hard peaks, use a spatula to gently fold in the almonds.

Using a tablespoon, gently dollop the cookie mixture onto the prepared baking pan, leaving a 1-inch space around the individual cookies on all sides. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and turn the oven to 250 degrees F. When the oven comes to temperature, place the cookies back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.