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1
Place flour and almonds in food processor and process until nuts are finely ground and powdery.
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2
Add candied peels and pulse until peels are finely minced.
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3
Pulse in baking powder salt, pepper, and spices.
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4
Combine eggs and brown sugar in a large bowl and whisk vigorously until thick and creamy, about 3 minutes.
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5
Add about one-third of flour mixture stirring with a wooden spoon.
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6
Add remaining flour mixture, stirring just until combined and dough begins to come away from sides of bowl.
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7
Scrape dough onto large piece of plastic wrap and form dough into 2 very flat discs, cover completely with wrap, and refrigerate until firm enough to roll into ropes, at least 2 hours or overnight.
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8
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
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9
Take a handful of dough at a time and roll it beneath your palms on a lightly floured surface into a 1/2-inch-diameter rope.
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10
Cut each rope into 1-inch lengths.
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11
Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets.
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12
Allow to ripen at room temperature overnight.
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13
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until light golden brown around edges, about 15 minutes.
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14
Slide parchment onto racks.
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15
If using just confectioners sugar, place it in a bowl and toss warm cookies in to coat, then transfer to rack to cool completely.
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16
Alternatively, whisk together confectioners sugar, vanilla, and enough hot water in a small bowl to form a very fluid glaze.
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17
Dip tops of cookies in glaze, then place glaze side up on racks to cool completely.
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18
Ripen cookies at least 1 week by storing in an airtight container along with a slice of apple.
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19
Store in small groups of about 2 cups each for every slice of apple so that the moisture provided by the fruit is effective.
