Chocolate Amaretti Cookies

This was posted to accompany my "Chocolate Amaretti Peaches" recipe. Recipe source is my "CHOCOLATE" cookbook by Christine McFadden & Christine France.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1  cup  whole almond (blanched)
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1  tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2  tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 2  egg whites
• 1  teaspoon  almond extract
• 1  pinch cream of tartar
•  slivered almonds, to decorate (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Place almonds on a sml baking sheet & bake 10-12 minutes, turning occ till golden brown. Allow almonds to cool to room temperature Reduce oven temp to 325°F.
2. Line a lrg baking sheet w/baking parchment. In a food processor, process the toasted almonds w/half the sugar till the almonds are finely ground but not oily.
3. Transfer the ground almonds to a bowl & stir in cocoa powder & confectioner's sugar. Set aside.
4. In a med mixing bowl, beat egg whites & cream of tartar w/a hand-held mixer till stiff peaks form.
5. Sprinkle in the remaining sugar 1 tbsp at a time, beating well after ea addition & cont beating till the whites are glossy & stiff. Beat in the almond extract.
6. Add the almond sugar mixture & gently fold into the beaten egg whites till just blended.
7. Spoon the mixture into a lrg piping bag filled w/a plain 1/2 in nozzle. Pipe 1 1/2 in rounds about 1 in apart on the prepared baking sheet. Press a slivered almond into the center of ea cookie.
8. Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes or till they are crisp. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.
9. W/a metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. When cool, store in an airtight jar or cookie tin.