Almond Cloud Cookies Recipe | King Arthur Flour (2024)

I had the pleasure of visiting the KAF store in Vermont recently and absolutely loved the cookies sold in the store. Upon my return home to Cincinnati I was disappointed to see that a similar recipe on your website used almond paste. The only place that I could get almond paste was online or at a candy store in Cincinnati. Honestly when I make homemade cookies I don't want to use a store bought paste. I purchased the almond paste in town and made the cookies which were perfect. So why not just use the store bought almond paste? Well it had a limited shelf life and I had to purchase it frozen. I also don't want to drive an hour to buy almond paste. It takes too much advanced planning. I saw a recipe online for making your own almond paste which consisted of equals parts almond flour and confectioner's sugar, egg white and almond extract. Using the homemade almond paste worked reasonably well provided I didn't pimple the cookies prior to baking. These cookies still come out a bit too thin/flat. I read the string of comments regarding the use of homemade almond paste and the thinness of the baked cookies. I also saw the recommendation to add more sugar or cornstarch to the recipe which could be helpful. Here is my request: I would like the bakers at KAF to post a new recipe that includes a made from scratch paste or a recipe without the almond paste. Your response to this request would be appreciated.

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Thanks for sharing this request with us, Melanie. We understand your desire to use all from scratch ingredients when baking. Store bought almond paste is an ingredient that creates the best texture and flavor in these cookies, which is why the recipe currently calls for it. We've shared your suggestion to include a recipe for homemade almond paste with the right team, however it can be challenging to create the necessary results at home. (Store bought almond paste is processed in a way that produces a smooth/fine texture, and emulsifies the fats, which is difficult to replicate without the right equipment.) In the meantime, we encourage you to continue experimenting with your homemade paste in the hopes that you'll come across the right ratios of ingredients to make perfect Almond Cloud Cookies. Kindly, Kye@KAF

I followed the recipe exactly but used all almond extract and they were fabulous! Not only delicious but beautiful. They make an elegant presentation especially when you use a scoop to make them a uniform size and shape. They are chewy and a little bit crunchy around the edges. Just perfect. I experimented with a few and put chocolate chips in the batter. I think I prefer them without the chocolate..words I never thought I would say.

Wahhh what did I do wrong? I followed the directions but these came out super thin and hollow. I wish I could attach a photo but think of it like a thin portobello mushroom, where it's not full on the bottom and the sides come up. I'll experiment again not sure what to do differently.

How interesting (though also disappointing), Tracy! It sounds like something was off with the ingredients, and our best guess is that it might have been the almond paste, as different brands can have varying levels of moisture. We use a pretty thick almond paste, so if yours was on the thinner side, then the excess moisture could have steamed the cookie into this unusual shape. Incorporating too much air into the egg whites could also cause some trouble. When "beating" them, take care to just do it lightly, so that they're easy to pour and incorporate, rather than beating them to any kind of peak. If we can help troubleshoot further, please give our Baker's Hotline a call at 855-371-BAKE. We'd be happy to talk things through with you! Mollie@KAF

I prefer this recipe without the confectioners sugar. One thing about the almond paste is that it can indeed be dry and needs to be broken up in small pieces before any mixing is done; I recommend a pastry cutter and elbow grease! The cookies freeze well. At holiday times I use them defrosted and broken in pieces as a layer in my English trifle recipe, and there are never any leftovers.

Don't know what I did wrong but followed the recipe...the stuff was SO runny I added almond flour.....so we will see...still runny when I put the spoons of it on the sheet...ugghh

Sharon, it sounds like you might have used another kind of almond paste that had a bit more liquid than the kind that was used to develop the recipe. The almond paste should be very thick, almost difficult to spread or stir at first. If you'd like to try the recipe again, we encourage you to use the brand that's available on our website made by Love'n Bake. It's just the right consistency for this recipe. We hope that helps! Kye@KAF

Instead of the bitter almond oil the substitution of Fiori di Sicilia gives it a nice flavor.

This is a wonderful recipe. I have made these cookies numerous times and they always come out great. Just made them this past week for Passover. I use the recommended almond paste, Love N Bake, vanilla, instead of bitter almond oil, and a teaspoon cookie scoop. I roll my raw cookie batter in a plastic container of confectioners sugar, dimple cookies, then bake for 18 minutes, rotating pan at 9 minutes. I bake one batch at a time and refrigerate cookie dough that is left over. They come out crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside. It really is like biting into a cloud. Thank you for such a great recipe. I love it and so does my family. P.S. For those who like a chewier cookie, bake a little longer.

I made this twice now, and each time, step #2 was never true to what the recipe states: "Blend the almond paste, sugar, and salt until the mixture becomes uniformly crumbly; this is best done in a stand mixer." Instead of a uniformly crumbly mixture I had a very chunky mixture which I beat and beat and beat with the mixer. Seems the mixer just wanted to toss the chunks around. (The almond paste was at room temperature). When I added the egg whites, it smoothed out some, but remained more chunky than smooth. I think the final product was too chewy, probably due to over beating step #3.

It sounds like the almond paste you're using might be a bit drier than expected. Not to worry, you can add a few teaspoons of warm water to the mix to help it soften and break down a bit. The good news is that over-mixing during this stage won't make them tough since there's no flour in the dough. (Over-developing the gluten in flour is what can make cookies tough.) Try again with a little bit of extra liquid added to the paste, and hopefully that makes this process easier. Happy baking! Kye@KAF

Super easy to make in my stand mixer, very fast bake, very nice that they are gluten- and dairy-free to make the friendly to everyone who might have dietary restrictions. Brought a dozen in to work and they were gone in a flash. Personally they are a bit sweet for my taste, but coworkers thoroughly approved. Question: are they supposed to be light/crumbly on the edges and chewy in the middle, or are they supposed to be crumbly throughout and did I not bake them for long enough? Got high marks with the chewy interior. Will definitely make again - I'm looking forward to trying them with chocolate chips!

Sarah, the cookies should be light on the edges and chewy in the middle. The contrast of flavors is one of the thing we love most about this recipe. Happy baking! Kye@KAF

I made this for Christmas this year and what a hit they were! We are an almond loving family & these were just right, sort of like Marzipan, soft, & chewy in a delicate way. They are definitely on my repeat list for next year & I don't add things lightly since I make at least 10 different kinds each Christmas. Thank you for a fabulous cookie!