Almond Macaroons

1. Preheat the oven to 325F.  Line 2 baking sheets with rice or parchment paper.  Split the almonds in half lengthwise.
2. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until they form soft peaks.
3. Fold in the ground almonds, superfine sugar, rice flour, and almond extract.
4. Put teaspoons of the mixture onto the baking sheet and press down slightly with the back of a spoon.  Place an almond half in the center.  bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly golden.  Let set on the baking sheet for 2 minutes to set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Cut around the rice paper, if using, before storing in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Reprinted with permission from Alison Walker’s A Country Cook’s Kitchen (Rizzoli, 2012.)