Almond-Pistachio Cloud Cookies (Gluten free & Dairy free recipe)

This is the first cookie I made for this holiday season. I had jars of almond paste and pistachio paste in the pantry and I found these cookies on King Arthur flour site. There is no flour, no dairy and no oil/ fat recipe -- gluten free and diary free recipe. Egg whites hold the cookies together. Cookies turned out chewy and delicious.

These cookies are very easy to put together. No refrigeration is required, so these can be made when with no prior planning and no time at all. Perfect when you need cookies or something sweet really really fast :-)

Recipe adapted from here:
Ingredients:

Almond Paste - 6oz.

Pistachio paste - 4oz.

Sugar - 2/3 cup

Large Egg whites - 2, lightly beaten
Chocolate Chips - 1cup (optional)

Salt - ¼tsp 

Almond extract - ¼tsp
Confectioners Sugar - for topping

Method:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
• Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, blend almond paste and pistachio paste along with sugar and salt until the mixture is uniformly crumbled.
• Lightly beat egg whites and gradually add to the almond mixture while the machine is running, to make a smooth paste.
• Stir in chocolate chips until combined, if using.
• Add the almond extract and mix well.
• Scoop the dough using a tablespoon onto the prepared pans, about 1½" apart.
• Sprinkle heavily with confectioners sugar and then flatten lightly. 
• Bake the cookies for 20~25 minutes or until the cookies look just set. They will be lightly brown on the bottom and barely brown around the edges. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking pans itself.

Notes:

• Only almond paste can be used, in which case use 10oz. almond paste along with 1cup of sugar and follow the recipe as above. 

Linking these to Bake-a-thon 2013.