Italian Chocolate Almond Cookies

Total Time: 16 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 6 mins

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup almonds, ground (if you use roasted almonds, the flavour will be intensified)
• 1/2 lb shortening
• 4 ounces semi-sweet bakers chocolate, chopped
• 1 lemon, rind of
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 96 small cupcake liners

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350°f prepare the small muffin tins with small cupcake liners.
• 2 melt the shortening. once melted, add the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted. set aside and the let chocolate mixture cool.
• 3 beat the eggs slightly, then add the sugar, almonds. lemon rind and cooled chocolate, then continue beating the mixture for 5 minutes. blend in the baking powder, then add the flour, one cup at a time, mixing well.
• 4 using a small cookie scoop, fill the paper cups about half way. i find that a level scoop of dough is the perfect amount.
• 5 bake the cookies for 6 to 8 minutes, rotating the trays half way through the baking, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
• 6 cool on rack. sprinkle with icing sugar when cool.