Chewy Nut Cluster Cookies. (Nut, Orange and Almond Macaroons)

I've called these macaroons, only becuase they are loosely based on a macaroon recipe of almond meal and egg whites. This is something I just invented becuase we really felt like a biscuit with an afternoon cup of coffee.  Little did I expect them to turn out so well.  (We ate the all :-)).  They are a delicious chewey, nutty cookie that you're just going to love. This recipe takes 10 minutes to prepare, 15 minutes to cook and makes about 20 cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 x cup of tropical nut mix
• 80 x grams of sultanas
• 1/2 a cup of Castor Sugar
• 1/2 a teaspoon of Xanthum gum
• 75 grams of almond meal
• 20 x grams of chopped butter
• 2 x drops of vanilla essence
• Zest of one orange
• 3 x egg whites

Method:

• Pre heat your oven to 200 degrees celcius
• Add 1 x cup of tropical nut mix to a medium mixing bowl. (The tropical mix in my local super market contains pieces of chopped dried fruits. It gives the cookie a nice sweet chewy texture in parts.  A standard fruit and nut mix or trail mix would do fine as well).
• Add your sultanas, castor sugar, xanthum gum and almond meal.
• Stir all your dry ingredients together.
• slice off 20 grams of butter from a block and chope it up into the dry mix.
• Stir it in again.
• Separate your eggs and add the whites to the mix
• add 2 x drops of vanilla essence
• Grate the rind of one small orange into the mixture.
• Mix it all well for say 2 x minuites with a strong metal spoon.
• It will appear very thick and sticky dough.  That's perfect. Time to stop mixing.
• Using a teaspoon, turn out scoops of the dough on to a cookie tray lined with a sheet of baking paper.
• Place them in the oven for fifteen minutes until well browned on top.  (They shoudl be as brown on top as the bases are cooked.
• Remove them from teh oven and place on a cooling rack. They will still feel a little soft. Let them cool and they will harden.
• These really are a decadent treat. Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea.