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1
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment.
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2
Pulse the nuts in a food processor to finely chop, allowing some larger pieces of nuts to remain.
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3
In a large bowl, combine butter, almonds, flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with 1 tablespoon of the milk.
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4
Add the extract.
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5
Drizzle yolk mixture over almond mixture and toss with fingers to combine and get everything moistened (If needed add up to 1 more tablespoon of milk).
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6
Mixture should still be crumbly, but not dry, like a crisp topping.
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7
Sprinkle 1 cup (about half of the crumbs) on the prepared baking sheet and press lightly to create a thin, even 8-inch round.
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8
Sprinkle remaining crumbs over the top to give the cookie some texture. Bake until golden brown and crisp, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking, about 30 minutes.
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9
For an extra crispy cookie, turn oven off at this point and let the pan rest in oven for 10 minutes.
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10
Cool on a rack until easy to handle.
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11
Slip the fregolata on the paper onto a rack to cool completely.
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12
When cool, sift confectioners' sugar over top.
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13
TO SERVE:.
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14
place a whole almond or overturned demitasse spoon under the center of the fregolata and rap the top with a spoon or the side of a knife to crack into serving pieces.
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15
BAKERS TIP:
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16
Dough can be frozen on cookie sheet for up to 1 week and baked from the freezer (for an extra 5 to 10 minutes). Store baked cookie in an airtight container or on a baking sheet wrapped with plastic wrap for up to 1 week. Baked cookie can be wrapped in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and frozen for up to 2 weeks.
