From Baking with Julia. This may be one of the easiest – and most tasty – cookies ever made!  Use canned almond paste, if possible – it’s less sweet than the tube variety!

• 8 oz Almond Paste
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• Pine nuts (optional, but I always use them…)

Preheat oven to 325°.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Mix almond paste with 1/2 the sugar and mix until almond paste is broken up and crumbly.  Add the rest of the sugar and continue mixing until it’s a very fine crumb.  Add the egg whites in 3 or 4 additions, mixing well.  Don’t mix too fast, ‘cuz you don’t want a lot of air mixed into the batter.

Fill a pastry bag with a 3/4″ plain tip and pipe a cookie about 1 1/2″ in diameter and about 1/2″ high.

Just before baking, take a damp cotton kitchen towel and blot the tops of the cookies to smooth the tops.  press pine nuts gently into top, if using.

Bake 15-20 minutes until they are well risen, lightly colored, and covered with fine cracks.  Transfer cookies on paper to racks and cool completely.

Gently peel cookie off the parchment.  If they stick, lift the paper and brush the bottom of the paper with hot water.  Wait a minute then peel off.