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Almond and Banana Cookies

2.5

(1)

(Viscotti di'Mandorla Banana)

These viscotti—Sicilian biscotti—come in many flavors; bakeries use food coloring to give customers a visual clue. In this case, yellow equals banana.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes about 3 dozen

Ingredients

12 ounces whole blanched almonds ( 2 1/4 cups)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
A few drops yellow food coloring (optional)
1 large ripe banana (6 ounces), cut into pieces
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Garnish: confectioners sugar

Special Equipment

a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip and parchment paper

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pulse almonds in a food processor until coarsely ground, then add sugar and pulse until almonds are finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl. Add almond extract, food coloring, banana, and egg white and mix with an electric mixer at low speed until a sticky, heavy paste forms. Spoon into pastry bag.

    Step 2

    Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly butter. Pipe 3- by 3/4-inch strips of dough onto paper about 1/2 inch apart. Chill, uncovered, overnight (8 to 12 hours).

    Step 3

    Preheat oven to 300°F.

    Step 4

    Bake cookies in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, 20 minutes total.

    Step 5

    Cool on sheets on racks 10 minutes, then bake 15 minutes more. Cool completely on sheets on racks. Peel cookies from paper.

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