Chocolate Amaretti Cookies

• 1 cup whole almond (blanched)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 pinch cream of tartar
• slivered almonds, to decorate (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350u0b0F Place almonds on a sml baking sheet & bake 10-12 minutes, turning occ till golden brown. Allow almonds to cool to room temperature Reduce oven temp to 325u0b0F.
2. Line a lrg baking sheet w/baking parchment. In a food processor, process the toasted almonds w/half the sugar till the almonds are finely ground but not oily.
3. Transfer the ground almonds to a bowl & stir in cocoa powder & confectioner's sugar. Set aside.
4. In a med mixing bowl, beat egg whites & cream of tartar w/a hand-held mixer till stiff peaks form.
5. Sprinkle in the remaining sugar 1 tbsp at a time, beating well after ea addition & cont beating till the whites are glossy & stiff. Beat in the almond extract.
6. Add the almond sugar mixture & gently fold into the beaten egg whites till just blended.
7. Spoon the mixture into a lrg piping bag filled w/a plain 1/2 in nozzle. Pipe 1 1/2 in rounds about 1 in apart on the prepared baking sheet. Press a slivered almond into the center of ea cookie.
8. Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes or till they are crisp. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.
9. W/a metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. When cool, store in an airtight jar or cookie tin.

whole almond, sugar, cocoa powder, sugar, egg whites, almond, cream of tartar, slivered almonds

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/chocolate-amaretti-cookies-169341 (may not work)