Sicilian Almond Biscuits (recipe adapted from racheleats.wordpress.com)

These soft, gluten-free biccies are very simple, quick and extremely delicious.

Makes about 15-20 biscuits

Ingredients

300g ground almonds

200g icing sugar (plus extra for dusting)

finely grated zest of 1 large unwaxed lemon

2 medium-sized eggs, gently beaten with a fork

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

2. Line a big baking tray with a double layer of greaseproof paper.

3. Mix the ground almonds, icing sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl.

4. Add the beaten eggs and then, using a fork or your fingers, bring the mixture together into a soft, sticky dough.

5. NB You can do steps 3 and 4 in a food processor, if preferred. Just put in all the ingredients and pulse, as for pastry, until the mixture sticks together. Don’t overwork the mixture.

6. Dust a board with plenty of icing sugar and dust your hands too.

7. Put the dough mixture on the board and scoop up walnut-sized lumps. Gently shape each lump into a ball in your palms, then roll them in the icing sugar before placing on the baking tray, spacing them quite widely (they swell as they bake).

8. When the tray is full, make an indentation in the centre of each biscuit with a teaspoon handle or your finger.

9. Bake the biscuits for about 12-14 minutes until just golden-brown underneath and cracked and pale gold on top. If you like the consistency to be crisper and harder, then bake for another 5 minutes. We like them a bit soft in the middle.

10. Allow the biscuits to cool then put them in an airtight tin where they will keep for about a week.