Italian Almond Cookies (Ricciarelli)

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   Step 1: Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F (170°C fan). Line 2 trays with baking or parchment paper.

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   Step 2: Place the almond meal, sugar, lemon zest, almond extract, and salt in a bowl. Whisk until the zest and almond extract are evenly distributed. Add the cherries and set aside.

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   Step 3: Using an electric mixer or a whisk, beat the egg whites and honey to soft peaks. This takes about 2 minutes on Speed 8 of a handheld beater, or 1 1/2 minutes on Speed 6 of a stand mixer.

   
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   Step 4: Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the almond mixture. The mixture may seem to lose most of the air from the meringue; that is fine.

   

Forming and coating the cookies

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   Step 5: Place the extra egg white in a small bowl and whisk with a fork until foamy. Put the flaked almonds in another bowl.

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   Step 6: Scoop up about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and shape it into a rough ball about 2.5 cm/1 inch across. Use two eating spoons if you like; the balls do not need to be perfect.

   
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   Step 7: Drop a ball into the foamy egg white. Turn it with two forks to coat, then lift it into the flaked almonds.

   
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   Step 8: Coat the cookie in almonds, pressing them on to cover it as completely as you can. The coating can be uneven, with overlapping almond pieces or some pieces sticking out.

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   Step 9: Arrange the cookies on the prepared trays, 2.5 cm/1 inch apart. Bake for 13–15 minutes, until golden brown. Start checking at 12 minutes to make sure the nuts are not burning.

   
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    Step 10: Transfer the cookies to a rack and let them cool completely before serving.

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    Step 11: Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days, or freeze.