Almond Mpigna

Blanch the almonds in boiling water, then drain them and completely remove the skin. Arrange them on the baking sheet from the oven and let them dry at moderate heat for a few minutes, without letting them brown: they must be dry and still light, so they can be chopped without adding moisture to the mixture.

Finely chop the dried almonds. Grind them into a fine, uniform grain, avoiding overworking them to prevent the oil from rising to the surface. Regularly chopping will distribute the flavor and texture throughout the pastry.

Pour the flour on the work surface, mix it with the chopped almonds and form a large fountain. Collect the mixture in an orderly fashion, leaving a central hollow deep enough to contain the eggs and sugar without them leaking out during processing.

Put the egg yolks and the egg whites in the hollow and beat them with the sugar until smooth. Also incorporate the grated lemon zest, distributing it well. into the mixtureThe mixture should appear smooth and free of lumps of sugar before adding the lard.

Join it lard Soften the dough at room temperature and gradually combine it with the flour and almonds. Work the dough quickly, just until the ingredients are evenly combined and the consistency is firm, malleable, and without any visible dry patches.

Flour the rolling pin Roll out the dough until it's about a finger thick. Keep the thickness uniform across the entire surface: a uniform thickness will allow the pigne to cook evenly and achieve a uniform golden brown color.

Transfer the pastry to greased and floured molds, preferably 20-centimeter (7.87 in) ring-shaped molds. Arrange the dough in the molds without pressing it down too tightly, then garnish the surface with a few whole blanched almonds, distributing them evenly.

Bake the dumplings over medium heat for about an hour. Check the surface during baking: they're ready when they're golden brown and the edges are firm. Avoid removing them from the oven before the color is even, as the inside needs to finish cooking.

Remove the pigne from the oven as soon as they're evenly golden brown and let them cool completely. Once they're cool and firm, carefully remove them from the molds to avoid breaking the pastry or compromising the shape they achieved during baking.

Sprinkle the cold muffins with plenty of powdered sugarSpread it evenly over the surface, so as to enhance the golden color and add a sweet, dry finish to the dessert.