These petite, diamond-shaped confections are the ultimate elegant no-bake cookie, with a thin base of firm, almond-apricot jam paste and royal icing on top.
If you're concerned about health risks involved in consuming raw egg whites, use the pasteurized kind.
Make Ahead: The calissons can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
SERVINGS:
Tested size: 110 1 1/2-inch cookies
INGREDIENTS
- 3 1/3 cups slivered (skinless) almonds or 4 2/3 cups skinless sliced almonds
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons apricot jam
- 2/3 cup chopped candied orange peel
- 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 large egg white
DIRECTIONS
Invert a 13-by-18-inch baking sheet, then place a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper on it.
Combine the almonds and sugar in a food processor; pulse until finely ground and smooth.
Meanwhile, heat the jam in a small saucepan over medium heat until the jam is quite hot but not bubbling. Add to the almond-sugar mixture, along with the candied orange peel; process to form a smooth, sticky dough. (Depending on the strength of your machine’s motor, you might need to divide the mixture in half and process separately in order to achieve the proper consistency.)
Spread the dough evenly on the paper so that is it is no more than 1/4 inch thick and in a more or less rectangular shape. (As needed, place another piece of parchment or wax paper on top just long enough to roll and even out the thickness.)
To make the royal icing, combine the confectioners’ sugar and egg white in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer fitted with a balloon-whisk attachment; beat on high speed for about 5 minutes or until the mixture becomes fluffy and thick.
Spread a thin, even, opaque layer of royal icing over the dough. Use a long, thin knife to cut 1 1/2-inch-long diamonds (see NOTE). In between cuts, dip the knife into hot water and wipe it clean. Once the icing has set, use a small offset spatula to transfer the calissons to clean sheets of paper. Layer and store in an airtight container.
NOTE: To create the diamond shapes, cut parallel slices 1 inch apart along the length of the slab of dough, then turn the dough at a slight angle (in either direction) and cut parallel slices along the width of the slab, 1 inch apart.
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