Amaretti
Amaretti: Lombardy and Piedmont's almond and egg-white biscuits with a bitter-almond note
Amaretti, "little bitter ones", are named after the bitter almonds that give them their sharp, marzipan flavour. In Saronno, near Milan, they are crisp and light, wrapped in paper; in Mombaruzzo and Sassello in Piedmont and Liguria they are soft and chewy. Both are eaten with coffee, crumbled over ice cream or baked peaches, and used in the filling for Mantua's pumpkin tortelli. This soft version is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: use a few drops of almond extract rather than bitter almonds, which are toxic raw in quantity; a little goes a long way.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
- 9 oz ground almonds
- 7 oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 ¾ oz icing sugarfor rolling
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan) and line two trays with baking paper.
Step 2: Mix 9 oz ground almonds and 7 oz caster sugar. Whisk 2 egg whites until foamy and just holding soft peaks, then fold them into the almonds with 1 tsp almond extract to make a sticky paste.
Step 3: Roll walnut-size balls with damp hands and roll them in 1 ¾ oz icing sugar. Put them on the trays 3 cm apart and press each gently.
Step 4: Bake for 18–20 minutes, until the tops crack and the bottoms are pale gold, but they still feel soft. Common mistake: overbaking; soft amaretti should stay chewy in the middle.
20 minStep 5: Cool on the tray. They keep in a tin for 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 80 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does amaretti take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of ground almonds?
- Ground cashews, same amount.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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