Italian Almond Macaroons

This is a classy cookie.  It is the kind of cookie I imagine eating as I sit in a cafe in some little Italian town while sipping at my white china cup of espresso.  Please ignore the lack of class in the photo exhibited by the Gadware container these cookies sit in.  They were popular with company, and it wasn't until evening that I noticed they were almost gone.  I could waste no more time!

These cookies are unique, using no flour whatsoever, but almond flour (ground up almonds).  This adds even more to the almond flavor that comes from the almond extract in the batter and crushed almonds on top. 

Even though this cookie was popular with others, I didn't particularly like them.  The recipe (which I won't bother pasting here) was a bit bizarre.  It claimed it would make 24 cookies, and instead made 50!  Also, almond flour is very temperamental to work with--it literally sweats in your hands!  Who needs hand lotion?  The texture was what bothered me the most though, they were hard upon first bite, and instead of being crumbly, felt like a stale cracker on the tongue.

They are tasty dipped in coffee, but I'd save myself hours of work and buy a biscotti from the store any day.