Okay, so what dessert do you make for folks who are gluten and lactose intolerant? Chewy almond macaroons, of course. I usually turn to coconut macaroons, but I saw almond macaroons on Pinterest and figured I'd switch it up my routine a bit. I started with a wisp of a recipe, but by my second batch these have become my own creation. It also makes a great topping for a fruit crisp. Check out my recipe for an easy Almond Apple Crisp. These are truly sublime cookies. They have lots of chew to them, they aren't overly sweet, and they have a hint of salt. My husband proclaimed that they were better than my salted peanut butter cookies. Those are big words! Chewy Almond Macaroons (gluten and dairy free) makes approximately 12 cookies Ingredients

• 8 ounces of almond paste (not marizpan)
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla paste (sub vanilla extract if needed)
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions Preheat oven to 350 F. Once the oven is at temperature, place slivered almonds on a sheet pan and toast for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside. In a medium bowl, add almond paste and sugar and mix thoroughly (I use my hands). Add the lightly beaten egg white, vanilla paste and sea salt until combined, then mix in the toasted slivered almonds. Roll the cookies into uniform balls (approximately 12 of them) and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Gently press a small crater in the top of each cookie to create the unique macaroon shape in the picture above.  Using a small strainer/sifter, coat each cookie with powdered sugar. Bake for 8-10 minutes rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through. Cookies should be just barely set when you remove them from the oven. Let cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then cool to room temperature on a cooling rack. These cookies keep for a week in an airtight container.