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Italian almond cookies - soft amaretti profile

Italian almond cookies - soft amaretti (3-ways)

This Italian recipe for almond cookies a.k.a. soft amaretti, requires three basic ingredients (almond flour, sugar and egg whites) and is made in 3 different ways.
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine gluten-free, Italian, Mediterranean
Keyword almond, amaretii, cookies, soft
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 14
Calories 94 kcal
Author Makos

Ingredients

For the basic almond amaretti recipe:

  • 2 cups (200 grams) almond flour
  • 2/3 cups (130 grams) white sugar
  • 2 egg whites (60 grams), room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • icing sugar for coating

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C).
  2. Transfer the almond flour and the sugar to a bowl and mix well.
  3. 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.
  4. Add the almond extract and the vanilla to the egg whites and mix well to combine. Smell the mixture and if the almond scent seems too weak, add another ¼ of a teaspoon almond extract. Then add the almond flour and mix well with a wooden spatula until a dough is formed. It may be a little sticky but that's okay.

  5. Transfer some icing sugar to a shallow plate. Take heaped tablespoons of dough and shape the cookies into small balls rolling them briefly between your hands. Transfer the balls to the icing sugar and roll them to coat well.

  6. Transfer to a baking pan and press them gently to flatten them a bit. Bake for 25 minutes. You don't want them to brown.

    Let them cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

For the matcha – lime amaretti:

Add 1 tablespoon of matcha green tea to the 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 with1 teaspoon instant coffee powder. Add more hazelnut flour if the dough is very sticky.

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  • Depending on the brand of your almond extract you may need to increase it to 1/2 a teaspoon.
  • The traditional recipe uses equal parts (in weight) almond flour and sugar. You can increase the sugar to 1 cup (200 grams) if you have a sweet tooth.
  • Use room temperature egg whites because they will whip up much faster.
  • If you like these italian almond cookies, you'll love this easy French Creme Brulee

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