James McNair, one of America's most prolific cookbook authors, is also the food spokesperson for Sutter Home Winery of St. Helena in California's Napa Valley. With The Sutter Home Napa Valley Cookbook, he joins those two activities, bringing to a wider audience the delightful marriage of good food and good wine that has become so much a part of wine-country life in California.
Bob Trinchero still waxes nostalgically about his childhood recollections of these crisp almond cookies baked by his Uncle Ernest, then a chef in Manhattan.
Suggested Wine:Sutter Home Triple Cream or Port
Makes: about 3 dozen
1 cup blanched almonds
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup egg whites (from about 2 eggs)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
Whole blanched almonds or pine nuts for decorating (optional)
Position racks so that the cookies will bake in the middle of an oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 or more baking sheets with kitchen parchment and set aside.
In a food processor, combine the almonds and 1/2 cup of the sugar and grind to a fine powder. Set aside.
In a bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer at medium-high speed until very foamy. Add the ground almonds, the remaining 1 cup sugar, the salt, and almond extract and beat with the mixer at medium speed until the mixture is fairly smooth and holds together. about 2 minutes.
Using a 1-tablespoon ice cream scoop, place mounds of the dough about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Using your fingertips, lightly flatten each dough mound to form a round about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Top each round with a whole almond or a few pine nuts (if using).
Bake until the cookies are lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
Transfer the baking sheets to a wire rack to cool for 8 to 10 minutes. Using your hands, carefully peel the paper off the backs of the cookies and transfer to the rack to cool completely.
