Easy Italian almond cookies recipe - soft amaretti
Attention all bakers! You'll be surprised at how easy it is to make these delicious Italian almond cookies (soft amaretti). The recipe requires just a handful of ingredients and is made in 3 different flavors. Also known as ricciarelli or Italian macaroons, these cookies are gluten free and perfect for the holidays, especially Christmas.
Servings: 14
Calories: 130kcal
Ingredients
For the basic almond amaretti recipe:
- 2 egg whites at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cups white sugar
- 2 cups almond flour
- icing sugar for coating
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Transfer the egg whites and the salt to the bowl of your electric mixer and beat on high until soft peaks form. You can also do that by hand using a whisk.Add the almond extract and the vanilla and mix well. Smell the mixture and if the almond scent seems too weak, add another ¼ of a teaspoon almond extract.
- Add the sugar and stir until combined. Then add the almond flour and mix well with a spatula until a soft dough is formed. It may be a little sticky but that's okay.
- Transfer some icing sugar to a shallow plate. Take heaped tablespoons of dough the size of a small walnut (about 25 grams / 0.88 oz).Shape the cookies into small balls by rolling them briefly between your hands. Transfer the balls to the icing sugar and roll them to coat well.
- Transfer them to the baking sheet and press them gently to flatten them a bit. Bake for 22-25 minutes. You don't want them to brown.Let them cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
For the matcha – lime amaretti:
Add 1 tablespoon of matcha green tea to the almond flour and replace the vanilla with 1 teaspoon lime zest.
For the hazelnut – espresso amaretti:
Replace all the almond flour with 3 cups hazelnut flour and replace the vanilla with 2 tablespoons freshly brewed espresso coffee.
Or
Start with 2 cups hazelnut flour and replace the vanilla with 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder. Add more hazelnut flour if the dough is very sticky.
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- Baking time will depend on the size of the cookies. Smaller cookies will need less baking time while larger cookies will need more.
- Depending on the brand of your almond extract you may need to increase it to ½ a teaspoon.
- Use room temperature egg whites because they will whip up much faster.
Nutrition
Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 49mg | Potassium: 8mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
