Sweet Almond and Cinnamon "Beans" (Rome)

Desserts

Ingredients

Sweet Almonds - 2/3 cups

Sugar - 3/4 cup

All purpose flour - 3/4 cup

Ground cinnamon - 1 tsp

Butter - 4 tbsps

Egg - 1

Grated rind of 1/2 lemon

Butter and flour for baking sheet

Spread the almonds, unpeeled on a baking sheet and dry them in the oven. Pound them in a mortar with the sugar until fine, or use a blender. Shake through a sieve to be pounded or blended again. Take care not to use all the sugar at the beginning, otherwise it is possible to end up with only almonds for either pounding or blending and this will make their oil run.

Put the powdered sugar and almonds into a bowl. Add the flour, cinnamon and butter, mix well, then add the egg and the lemon rind and work to a smooth paste. More cinnamon may be added if wished. Flour your hands and roll the paste into a long roll. Cut this into bean sized pieces. Arrange them, well spaced, on a greased and floured baking sheet, and squash them lightly to give them an oval shape, like a fava bean. Bake in a moderate oven (375F) for 20 minutes or until a pale golden color. Cool before serving. The "beans" will keep well in an airtight container. These quantities will make about 50 "beans"