Step 1 Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease 3 baking sheets.
Step 2 Grind the almonds, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the vanilla extract and pulse to mix in.
Step 3Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add them to the food processor and pulse 3 or 4 times to mix in. The mixture should form a grainy batter.
Step 4Wet your hands (this keeps the dough from sticking). Tear off walnut-sized pieces of the dough and roll each between your palms into a ball.
Step 5Place the cookies about 2 to 3 inches apart on the baking sheets and bake until they are golden, about 25 minutes. Halfway through, rotate the sheets to get even browning. Remove from the oven and cool.