Lemon-Glazed Almond Cookies

A tray full of Passover cookies includes from left: lemon-glazed almond cookies, chocolate-pecan tea cookies, maple coconut macaroons and chocolate and almond crisps. Photo: Michael Kahn

While my mother used maple flavored syrup in these macaroons, I would recommend using the real thing.

Ingredients:

Cookies

  • 2 ½ c. almond flour or finely ground 
  • almonds
  • 1 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 tsp. Kosher for Passover baking powder
  • ½tsp. table salt
  • ¾c. lightly packed light brownsugar
  • A pinch of salt
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1½tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp. almond extract
  • Freshly grated zest, half of a lemon

Glaze: 

  • 1½ c. confectioner’s sugar
  • 3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Finely grated zest, 1 small lemon

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour or ground almonds, coconut, baking powder, table salt, and light brown sugar. Use clean hands to make sure there are no lumps in the mixture; reserve. 

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs by hand or with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Whisk in the cooled butter, vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon zest. Pour this mixture over the reserved almond flour mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until everything is thoroughly combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or as long as overnight. 

Arrange oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Remove cookie dough from refrigerator and use a small scoop or a round tablespoon measure to scoop out 1 tbsp. portions of dough. Arrange balls of dough onto baking sheets, about 1-inch apart. Moisten three middle fingers of one hand with water, and use them to slightly flatten each ball. 

Bake cookies in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Rotate cookie sheets, top to bottom and front to back. Continue baking cookies another 5-6 minutes, or until the edges and tops just start to color. Transfer baking sheets to cooling racks and let cookies cool completely. 

To make the glaze, whisk together confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Spread glaze over the top of each cooled cookie. Let cookies sit until the glaze is set, about 15 minutes.

Arrange cookies on a platter for serving, or store them in a single layer in a cookie tin. Glazed cookies can be stored at room temperature for about 3 days, though taste best the day they are made. 

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.