Dessert
Amygdalota (Greek Almond Cookies)
- Total timeTotal
- 2 hr
- MakesMakes
- 25–30 pieces
Amygdalota are a special almond sweet of the Cyclades, made for celebrations and special occasions, shaped like little pears and dusted with powdered sugar. My own childhood memory is on the island: every year my grandmother made them for the feast of August 15, to treat the guests who would come.
Amygdalota are a special almond sweet of the Cyclades, made for celebrations and special occasions, shaped like little pears and dusted with powdered sugar. My own childhood memory is on the island: every year my grandmother made them for the feast of August 15, to treat the guests who would come. One year it was my turn to make them with her, following her recipe, to keep this tradition alive.
Step by step
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The recipe
Amygdalota Recipe
Total time 2 hr · 25–30 pieces
Ingredients
For the amygdalota
For finishing
Method
- First, peel the almonds: bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch them for 2–3 minutes. While they’re still warm, slip off their skins.
- Rinse them and let them dry before you grind them in a food processor. You can also buy almonds already blanched.
- Grind the almonds in a food processor until very fine. Crush the rusks the same way and put everything in a large bowl. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and orange blossom water, and stir.
- Whip the egg whites into a meringue and fold it into the almond mixture.
- Shape 25–30 amygdalota like little pears and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 120°C convection (fan) for 30–45 minutes, until lightly colored on top.
- While the amygdalota are still warm, spray them with orange blossom water and dust them with powdered sugar.
- TipWith the same recipe you can also make ergolavi, round almond cookies: shape them round and bake them longer, until golden all over.
