The devastating Plague of Hail was more than just small tiny pebble-like hailstones; they were balls of fire and ice that rained from the heavens and inaugurated a paradigm shift in Pharaoh’s Egypt. This is when the story starts to turn.
For hail, we have used the British Pesach classic, the cinnamon ball: White on the outside and brown with cinnamon on the inside, much like the hail that was said to be ice on the outside with a fiery center.
The cinnamon balls, unlike the hailstones, should be soft inside, with a strong cinnamon flavor; but they will harden with keeping, so freeze and defrost as you plan on serving.
2 egg whites
Pinch of salt
75g caster sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
200g ground almonds
Icing sugar, for decorating
1. Heat oven to 180℃ (350℉). Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
2. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks, with beaters still running, add one tablespoon of sugar at a time until the egg whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks.
3. Fold in the cinnamon and ground almonds, with wet hands roll small spoonfuls of mixture into balls and place, spaced out onto lined cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, until set but still soft in the center.
5. Release the cookies from the baking sheet and dust with icing sugar. Store in an airtight container.
