Low Cal Low Fat Cookies for Almond & Marzipan Lovers

The calories depend a lot on the size of the cookies you make.  I make mine small.  I make about 4 dozen cookies from this recipe, they are 48 calories each.

So if you are on weight watchers, they are 1 point per cookie.

Amaretti Cookies

2C Whole Almonds

2 Egg Whites

1 C. sugar (I use 1/2 a cup)

2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour

1 Tbsp Almond Extract

1 tsp Baking Powder

* In a food processor, chop almonds into small powdery granules.  If you add a Tbsp of sugar in with the almonds they will chop up better.

* Beat egg whites until fluffy, then slowly beat in sugar

* Add flour, extract, and baking powder to egg mixture. Stir it up a bit.

* Fold in almond granules

* Put some parchment paper on your cookie trays

* Drop cookie batter by tablespoonfuls onto the parchment paper.

* Bake @ 300 to 325 F for 12 minutes if you like soft cookies and up to 20 minutes if you like crunchy cookies.  Traditional amaretti cookies are very crunchy, like biscotti.  If cookies do not brown after about 10 minutes, you may need to bake them at 350.  Cookies should be light brown and crisp on top.

* Cool 2 minutes and transfer to racks to cool more.

Tips: You can use icing sugar on your fingers to shape the cookies if you find the batter sticky.  I add vanilla, a pinch of nutmeg, and some ground cardamom to my cookies, but the orginal recipe doesn't call for them.