Almond Biscuits

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set it aside.

In a food processor or mixer, pulse the almonds and sugar until the almonds are finely ground. Be cautious not to over-process to avoid releasing the almond oils.

Transfer the ground almond mixture to a bowl.

In a mixing bowl, separate the egg yolk from the egg white. Lightly whisk the egg yolk and set it aside for later use. Add the vanilla essence to the egg white, then whisk it on low speed using a hand whisk or electric mixer until frothy.

Add the lemon zest to the bowl and gradually fold the almond-sugar mixture into the whisked egg white, gently combining with a spatula to form a dough. Avoid overmixing. Refrigerate the dough for 20-30 minutes to allow it to firm up.

Shape small portions of the dough into walnut-sized balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each to allow for spreading during baking. Wet your fingers with water to prevent the dough from sticking while shaping.

Brush the tops with the reserved egg yolk for a golden finish. Press a whole almond into the centre of each dough ball and gently flatten.

Bake the biscuits in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes or until the biscuits turn lightly golden.

Remove the biscuits from the oven and let them cool on the tray. The centres will be slightly soft but will firm up as they cool. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Enjoy these Almond Biscuits with a cup of tea or coffee!