Amigthalota (Almond Pears)

Servings: 30
Ingredients:

3 c  Ground almonds
1/2 c  Icing sugar; sifted
1/4 c  Egg whites (1/4 c = 2 whites
1/2 ts Grated lemon rind, optional
2 dr Almond essence
Whole cloves
Additional icing sugar
Rose or orange flower water
- (optional)

Makes: 30
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Oven temperature: 160 C (325 F)

Blend ground almonds with icing sugar measured after sifting. Add lightly
beaten egg whites with lemon rind if used and almond essence. Mix to a
firm dough with hands. Clean hands and rub with a little butter to
prevent dough sticking while shaping. Break off small pieces of dough the
size of a walnut and form into pear shapes. Insert a whole clove in the
top of each to resemble a stem and place upright on a buttered and floured
baking sheet.

Bake in a moderately slow oven for 20 minutes, covering with brown paper
if tops begin to brown. Sift 2 cups icing sugar into a bowl and dip hot
Amigthalota into it. If desired, a little rose or orange flower water may
be brushed onto Amigthalota before dipping into icing sugar. Place on a
wire rack to cool.

Sift remaining sugar from bowl into base of a container and arrange cooled
Almond Pears upright in a single layer. Sift more sugar thickly over tops
and sides, seal and store for a day or two before using.

From: ‘The Complete Middle East Cookbook’ by Tess Mallos
ISBN: 1 86302 069 1

Typed for you by Karen Mintzias

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