3 cups shelled walnuts, plus 18 shelled walnut halves
⅔ cup sugar
2 large eggs
scant ½ tsp. cardamom powder
¼ cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, lightly beat
- 2 egg whites (save the yolks for something else)
In a food processor with the blade attachment, pulse
- 3 cups walnuts
- ⅔ cups sugar
- scant ½ tsp. cardamom powder
until the mixture forms a crumb similar to coarse sand.
Scrape the nut mixture mixture into the mixing bowl and stir just until the dough is wet and the ingredients are combined. Mark the dough however helps you divide it into 18 roughly even clumps on the parchment paper, or use a cookie scoop. Roll into balls.
Sift
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
in a mesh strainer over a pie plate or similar, to get out any lumps.
Roll each dough ball in the powdered sugar, coating it fairly heavily, roll the sugared ball between your palms to get a light, even coating of powdered sugar, and place on the lined baking sheet leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Gently press a walnut half onto the top of each cookie.
Bake about 10-12 minutes, or until the sides of the cookies are set. Remove from the oven and set cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Adapted from thisitaliankitchen.com.