If time allows, leave the shaped cookies to rest, uncovered, for an hour or longer before baking.
Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).
An optional egg wash gives an appealing sheen to the baked cookies. Make the egg wash by beating together 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of orange flower water. Lightly brush the wash onto the cookies. Then, with a long pin or needle, prick several holes in the ridge along the top of each cookie.
Bake the cookies in the middle of the preheated oven, one baking sheet at a time, for about 12 minutes, or until barely golden. (Avoid over baking, as this will harden the pastry and toughen the almond paste.)
Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool thoroughly before storing in a plastic container, or see the next page to prepare Kaab el Ghazal M'Fenned.
