• ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup egg whites (about 6 large)
• 1 cup (all-purpose) flour
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract

Beat the butter and sugar in a mixer bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg whites and mix until barely blended; the batter will look broken. Add the flour and almond extract; mix just until smooth. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with baker’s parchment. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons 3 inches apart on the parchment, then spread each to a very thin circle with the back of a spoon. Bake until golden, about 8 minutes.

With a spatula, carefully remove a warm cookie from the parchment and drape it over an inverted soup or custard cup. Repeat with the remaining cookies, rewarming them in the oven if they cool and become too brittle to mold. Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container up to 1 day, although they are best served the day they are baked.