Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon grated lemon rind, optional
• 2 drops almond essence
• Whole cloves
• Additional icing sugar
• Rose or orange flower water, optional

Directions

• Directions
• Blend ground almonds with icing sugar measured after sifting. Add lightly beaten egg whites with lemon rind if used and almond essence.
• Mix to a firm dough with hands. Clean hands and rub with a little butter to prevent dough from sticking while shaping.
• Break off small pieces of dough the size of a walnut and form into pear shapes. Insert a whole clove in the top of each to resemble a stem and place on a buttered and floured baking sheet.
• Bake in a moderately slow oven for 20 minutes, covering with brown paper if tops begin to brown. Sift 2 cups icing sugar into a bowl and dip hot amigthalota into it.
• If desired, a little rose or orange flower water may be brushed onto amigthalota before dipping into icing sugar. Place on a wire rack to cool.
• Sift remaining sugar from bowl into base of a container and arrange cooled almond pears upright in single layer. Sift more sugar thickly over tops and sides, seal and store for a day or two before using.