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1
Combine the blanched Avola almonds and caster sugar in a food processor. Grind in short pulses — never continuously — until the mixture reaches a fine, cohesive paste. The oil released from the almonds binds the dough; prolonged grinding generates heat, separates the oil, and ruins the texture. Stop when the paste is smooth and holds together without being wet or greasy.
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2
Transfer the almond-sugar paste to a bowl. Add the egg whites one at a time, working each addition in thoroughly before adding the next, until the paste becomes a soft, sticky dough that just holds its shape. Add the bitter almond extract and incorporate evenly. The dough should be tacky but manageable — this is where the dish lives or dies: too little egg white and the cookies crack apart; too much and they spread flat and lose their chew.
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3
Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Place the powdered sugar in a wide shallow bowl. Portion the dough into walnut-sized pieces — approximately 20 g each. Roll each piece between the palms into a smooth ball, then roll generously in the powdered sugar until completely and thickly coated. A thin coating will not crackle; the layer should be visibly substantial.
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4
Arrange the coated balls on the prepared baking sheets, spaced 4 cm apart. If garnishing, press one candied cherry or a few pine nuts into the top of each ball. Bake at 160 °C for 12–15 minutes. They are done when the powdered sugar exterior has crackled and the surface is set but a light finger-press still leaves a small indent in the centre — they will appear slightly underdone; this is correct.
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5
Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely on the baking sheet before moving. Warm, the cookies are too soft and will stick together. Cooled, the interior firms to the intended chewy-moist texture. Eat within 2 days; the soft interior is a mark of freshness, not underbaking.