Amaretti Cookies

Amaretti cookies are traditional Italian cookies that are crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. They are filled with almond flavor and just a hint of orange zest. They pair beautifully with a cup of espresso or with a scoop of ice cream.

They also make a terrific Christmas cookie for gifting or a cookie exchange. To round out your cookie platter try my Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies, Gingerbread Men, Chocolate and Vanilla Sugar Cookies or my Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Ingredients:

• Egg Whites: You’ll need between 3-4 eggs to get the required amount of 1/2 cup of egg whites, or more precisely 100 grams.
• Almond Meal: Amaretti cookies are naturally Gluten-Free since they don’t use any traditional flour, but rather almond meal. Sometimes it’s also labeled as almond flour. If you can’t find it where you live you can also buy blanched almonds and grind them up in your food processor until a fine almond meal develops.
• Granulated Sugar: I don’t use too much sugar in the cookie dough, since there is more sugar added in the dough rolling part after the cookie balls are formed. This prevents the cookies from becoming too sweet.
• Orange Zest: Delivers a delicious secondary flavor to these cookies, and adds a little refreshing balance to the sweetness of the almond extract.
• Almond Extract: Look for pure almond extract, it will create a better flavor than anything imitation. You can put the rest of it to good use with my Blueberry Almond Brunch Cake.
• Powdered Sugar: Is used to create a beautiful finish to the cookies once they are baked.

Step #1: Combine the Dry Ingredients:

• Before whipping together your egg whites, whisk together the almond meal, granulated sugar and orange zest. Then set aside.
• If you have created your own almond meal with blanched almonds, you may want to sift the almond meal first to catch any larges bits of nut that didn’t grind finely.
• A finer almond meal will create a softer interior to your cookie.

Step#2: Whip the Egg Whites

• Since the egg whites are the only wet ingredient in this recipe, you’ll need to make sure you have the exact amount, otherwise the cookies can either spread too much (if you have over the amount) or be too dense (if you have under the amount).
• The best thing to do is to weigh them. Most eggs have between 33-35 grams of egg white per egg, but it can also really vary! I’ve seen small eggs have as low as 25 grams!
• Using a kitchen scale, weigh out 100 grams of egg white, which can be between 3-4 eggs, depending upon their size.
• If you don’t have a kitchen scale you can also measure out the egg white in a liquid measuring cup, it won’t be as precise but will be very close, you’ll need 1/2 cup.
• Then whip the whites with an electric mixer in a large bowl until stiff peaks form.

Step#3: Fold in the Dry Ingredients

• Add the dry ingredients to the egg whites, folding them in thirds, gently.
• After the first third is added then add the almond extract.
• Keep combining until all the dry ingredients are used up.
• The dough should resemble a sticky cookie dough that holds together when pinched with your finger tips.
• If your dough is too loose for that, then add some more almond flour, in two tablespoon increments, until it comes together.

Step#4: Roll the Dough in Sugars

• Scoop out the cookie dough into one tablespoon increments.
• Then roll the dough ball in the granulated sugar, this will create a hard exterior to your amaretti cookie and make it chewy.
• Then roll the ball in the powdered sugar for the pretty exterior. It also provides the additional sweetness the cookie needs.

Baking Tips:

• Place the cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet or on a baking mat. This will prevent their bottoms from sticking and becoming too browned.
• Bake the cookies for 17-20 minutes, or until the tops are set and hard to the touch and the cookies begin to crack.
• The longer they bake the harder the exterior will be. If you don’t see them cracking, let them continue to bake for a few minutes more until they crack. Not only will this make them more chewy, but will add to their visual appeal as well.

Storage Tips:

• Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container or in a resealable plastic bag at room temperature.
• They will keep their soft and chewy interior for 4-5 days.
• You can also freeze them in a freezer safe container for up to a month.
• Allow them to defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Then bring them out to room temperature for 2-3 hours before serving.