One of the beauties of baking are those times when you have one simple ingredient and you have to turn it into something. That’s when the kitchen magic happens; moments of culinary creativity. Sometimes you fail and sometimes you succeed, but it doesn’t matter, because ultimately, you’re just playing in your studio of food. It helps when a friend comes over while you’re in the process, serves you a glass of wine, and says, “what are you making?”

“No idea… but I have to use up these egg whites somehow.”

After making a custard which entailed using a few egg yolks, I was in fact left with three egg whites. Easiest solution? Grind up some almonds and make a light, gluten free treat. Egg whites are great for making gluten free bases for tarts – it’s just a matter of choosing your nut of choice and mixing it to the right consistency.

The almond flavor in these cookies is a little heavy, so I lightened it up with a bit of lemon zest a little powdered sugar and lemon icing afterwards. The chocolate was an after thought, but hey, when can you ever go wrong with drizzling chocolate over something? Rarely.

Lemon Almond Drops with Chocolate

Ingredients:

3 egg whites

2 cups ground almonds

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

zest of one lemon

Icing: 4-6 tablespoons powdered sugar + juice of lemon

Chocolate drizzle: 1/2 bar of chocolate (baking chocolate or whatever you have on hand) + 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil

Preparation:

In a bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold in sugar, almonds, vanilla, sea salt and lemon.

Drop onto a greased baking sheet (or one covered with parchment paper) in spoonfuls, gently press your thumb in the middle to make a slight imprint and bake at 350F for about 10 minutes.

To make the icing, combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice and combine until you get a thick consistency. Place a drop of frosting in the middle of each cookie.

To make the chocolate topping, melt the chocolate and butter in a small saucepan and drizzle over all of the cookies.

Wait for chocolate to cool before serving. Or don’t. It’s good either way!