Preheat oven to 350°.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Stir in the almonds, sugar, rice and orange flour water, and mix well. Taste, and add a little almond essence if necessary (I like my macaroons quite almondy).

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease (vegetable oil sprays work well). Lay the rice paper sheets over the parchment and place the mixture in small heaps on it (or pipe). Place a split almond on each macaroon and brush with a little beaten egg white.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden. It's important to cook macaroons slowly so that they color evenly and develop a good texture. The final color should be a very pale gold.

Allow to cool a little, then remove fom the baking sheet and cool on a rack. The rice paper will adhere to the bottom of the cookies, breaking away from the rest of the sheet.