Almond Snaps

These thin biscuits are usually served with coffee at the end of a meal but not as a dessert in their own right. The secret to perfect snaps is to spread the mixture very thinly so that, as it cooks, it takes on a lacelike appearance. As soon as they come out of the oven, they must be lifted off the baking tray and placed around a rolling pin or bottle. The idea is that they should look like the large ornamental combs that are used to hold the Spanish mantilla in place. They can be small but in restaurants one large ones is usually placed at the center of the table for people to break into pieces.

Servings: about 2 lb of snaps

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 10 min.

Ingredients:

10.5 oz flaked almonds

9 oz sugar

3 oz flour

9 oz butter

5 whole eggs

One half teaspoon of vanilla extract

A pinch of salt

Preparation:

Mix the flour with the sugar, vanilla extract, almonds and salt. Beat the whole eggs until fluffy and gradually fold into the flour mixture, lifting as you mix to keep in as much air as possible. Melt the butter and add to the mixture. Place small mounds of the mixture on a baking tray and flatten with a fork that must repeatedly be dipped in water to avoid sticking. Place in the oven at 390 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove, lift the snaps with a knife and place over a rolling pin. The snaps are cooked as soon as the outside edge changes color so it is important to spread them out evenly.

Selected by María Jesús Gil de Antuñano
Recipe courtesy of Spain GourmeTour magazine.