Amaretti Cookies. Soft and chewy Italian Amaretti cookies. Rich, nutty almond cookie with a delicate, slightly crispy exterior. Cookies are rolled in sugar for an extra sweet treat.
Another cookie box cookie. Like snowball cookies, they are gone in two bites. These are part of my Italian cookie collection. I have already shared Double Chocolate Almond Biscotti, next up will be Mostaccioli cookies and then Florentines. Each cookie has a unique appeal and they are an amazing gift to give.
Amaretti cookies rely almost solely on the air incorporated into the egg whites to give the cookie a slight rise and create that crispy exterior and luxurious soft, chewy interior. The all-purpose flour helps give the cookie its chewiness. For a gluten free version, simply replace the all-purpose with additional almond flour.
These cookies require very little preparation. About 5 minutes. The egg whites will take several minutes to beat into an opaque, soft peak stiffness. To test, as you are beating the egg whites, stop the beater, and lift. The egg white peaks should be slightly bent. Beating the whites too long will result in a glossy white appearance, and peaks that stand straight up and hold their shape very well.
The whites, in soft peak stage are added to the sifted dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. While you can use a wooden spoon to incorporate, I prefer to use my hands and carefully fold the whites into the dry ingredients to achieve a consistent mix. The dough will be slightly sticky.
Roll small portions of dough in your hands to produce the round cookie shape. I like cookies around 1-1/4-inch in diameter. They bake up nicely in about 20 minutes. Smaller cookies will need less time in the oven, larger cookies, slightly more.
Roll the cookies in powdered sugar and let the cookies rest for a half hour before baking. I have been known to re-roll the cookies in sugar just before baking, as well as rolling them in granulated sugar first before rolling in confectioners’ sugar so the powdered sugar does not melt into the cookie surface. More often than not I roll once in confectioners’ sugar, so the almond flavor shines through without the cookie being too sweet.
Flatten the cookies slightly by lightly patting them, or by using a flat object, like the bottom of a drinking glass to do the trick. The cookies can be baked in round form.
Bake the cookie until golden brown. Their signature cracks will appear gradually as they bake.
Amaretti cookies are excellent. A treat worthy of your holiday cookie collection.
These cookies pair well with coffee, espresso, and hot chocolate.
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Amaretti Cookies
Ingredients
- 225 grams blanched almond flour (2 cups), sifted
- 200 grams granulated sugar (1 cup)
- 32 grams all-purpose flour (1/4 cup)
- 60 grams egg white (from 2 large eggs)
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 gram almond extract (1/4 teaspoon)
- 30 grams confectioners’ sugar (1/4 cup)
Instructions
- Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats.
- Sift the almond flour, all-purpose flour, and granulated sugar into large mixing bowl.
- Add egg whites to stand mixer. Beat on high to soft peaks. Add the pinch of salt and almond extract. Beat a few seconds to incorporate.
- Add the beaten egg white mixture to the dry ingredients. Incorporate the whites with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
- Roll the dough into small 1-inch diameter balls. Roll them in powdered sugar. Place each cookie on the prepared cookie sheets. Flatten the cookies using your hand or a flat-bottomed drinking glass. Allow the cookies to rest on the cookie sheets for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown, and they have their signature cracks along the edges. Remove from the oven, place on wire racks and cool for several minutes. Remove from the cookie sheets and cool completely.
- Store cookies in an air tight container for up to one week.
