Iraqi (Hadji Bada) These are as easy to make as they are to eat plus, they just so happen to be gluten-free.
Ingredients
2 cups finely ground almond flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp kosher salt
2 large egg whites
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 Tbsp rose water, plus more for rolling
24 whole raw almonds or slivered almonds
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl whisk together the almond flour, cinnamon and salt to combine.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites, sugar and rose water until foamy. Stir in the almond flour mixture until a smooth dough forms.
Fill a small bowl with room-temperature water and add a few drops of rose water, then use this water to wet your hands to prevent sticking as you roll the dough. Roll the dough into tablespoon-size balls and place them on the prepared sheet pans, spacing them 2 inches apart and placing 12 balls on each pan. Push an almond or slivered almonds into the centre of each ball of dough.
Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, for about 15 minutes, until the cookies have spread out and their edges are golden. Let cool completely on the pans, then serve.
