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The historic Peloponnesian castle town of Monemvasia is known for many things, not least of which its “amygdalota.”
Chef: Anna Nathanailidou
Preparation & Cooking time: 2 hours (including 1 hour resting)
These traditional almond confections are soft, fragrant and delicately sweet, perfect for special occasions or as a refined treat with coffee or tea. They also don’t go stale fast, so they’re great for preparing a biggish batch when you’re expecting guests to drop by.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F).
Grind the almonds in a food processor until finely powdered and transfer them to a bowl.
Add the egg whites, semolina, icing sugar and vanilla.
Mix gently until the ingredients are fully combined.
Shape the mixture into small pear-shaped sweets and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Press a clove into the top of each sweet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until just lightly golden.
Let the amygdalota cool completely (about 1 hour), then dip each sweet briefly into a bowl of orange blossom water and roll immediately in the icing sugar to coat.
This article originally appeared in Gastronomos.
Ingredients (For approx. 900 grams)
- 600 g blanched almonds
- 3 egg whites
- 2 tbsp fine semolina
- 150 g icing sugar
- 1 vanilla capsule (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- Whole cloves, for garnish
- Orange blossom water (“anthonero”), for dipping
- Icing sugar, for dusting
