Almond Foams (Spumini Mandorlati)

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Almond Foams (Spumini Mandorlati)

Book Description

Ciao Italia: Bringing Italy Home, the companion guide to Ciao Italia's 11th season on PBS, is a delightful cookbook that reads like a travel guide and a tribute to Italian cooks and their culture. Mary Ann Esposito has 10 seasons of cooking on public television and 5 cookbooks to her name, and she still manages to offer 130 new recipes presented in a culinary tour so captivating, you'll read this cover to cover. The chapters are divided by region, and each begins

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Ciao Italia--Bringing Italy Home

Authors: Mary Ann Esposito

Date: May 2001

ISBN: 0312303297

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Hardcover

ORDER/INFO

Almond Foams (Spumini Mandorlati)
Recipe from: Ciao Italia--Bringing Italy Home
by Mary Ann Esposito
Cookbook Heaven at Recipelink.com

What I love about these bite-size meringue and almond cookies are their delicateness and their almost ethereal texture and taste. And l also love the name given to them by my Tuscan friends and super cooks Giovanni and Iris Lodovicu, spumini mandorlati, the literal translation of which is "almond foams" This exquisite cookie calls for only four ingredients, is quick to put together but requires a 45-minute baking time to produce a dry, crisp spumini that literally melts in your mouth like foam.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

1 cup whole blanched almonds
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Grind the almonds in a food processor until very fine and transfer them to a medium-size bowl.
In an electric mixer whip the egg whites until they are foamy. Gradually whip in the sugar, a little at a time, until the egg whites begin to form peaks and appear shiny. Whip in the flour a little at time. Fold the nuts into the egg-white mixture until they are well blended.
Use 2 teaspoons to spread small rounds of batter onto the parchment paper, spacing the spumini about 1/2 inch apart. They will spread a little. Or fill a tipless pastry bag with the batter and pipe out 1-inch rounds.
Bake the spumini without opening the oven door for about 45 minutes, or until crisp. They should remain pale in color.
Allow the spumini to cool completely on the baking sheets, then carefully remove them from the parchment paper.

Note: These are perfect to serve with fresh fruit, ice cream, or sherbets.

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