This 18th century recipe for almond cookies has been adapted from a handwritten recipe book hosted at Wiki Commons. They are very aromatic.
Ingredients
- ½ pound blanched almonds
- ¾ pound white granulated sugar
- 2–3 spoonfuls rosewater
- 1 grain musk (substitute edible musk essence)
- 1 grain ambergris (no modern substitute)
- Fine lemon zest
Procedure
- Start pounding the almonds in a marble mortar.
- Gradually pound in the sugar a spoonful at a time until it is all incorporated.
- Pound in the rosewater, musk, ambergris, and lemon zest until the mixture is a fine paste.
- Pinch off balls and roll them in some additional sugar, then place on parchment-lined sheets. Bake in a slow oven (275–300°F/135–150°C) until dried through.