Ingredients:
1 kg almonds, blanched, dried and ground
2 tbsp fine semolina
3 egg whites
3 tbsp honey
1 cup of rosewater
2 cups of caster sugar
25 g packet of vanilla sugar
2 cups of pure icing sugar
cloves (as garnish)
Method:
1. Dry the blanched almonds in the over, then grind them finely in a food processor.
2. Combine the egg whites (lighlty beaten with a fork), almonds, semolina, caster and vanilla sugars, and half the rosewater in a bowl, and mix to make a pliable paste. Allow this mixture to rest overnight.
3. The next day, knead the paste again while adding in the honey. If the paste is too dry, add a little more rosewater. If it is too wet and can’t be moulded, add a little more semolina.
4. Preheat your oven to 180°C.
5. Mould small amounts of the paste into pear-shapes and add a clove on top. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
6. Once out of the oven, brush with rosewater and thoroughly cover with icing sugar.
*It’s a good idea to re-coat your little ‘pears’ after a couple of hours to make them completely white.