Amaretti Cookies Recipe
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Recipe Overview
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes 12-14 cookies
Ingredients Needed
- 60g/2oz egg white (approximately 2, but make sure to weigh for accuracy)
- Pinch of salt
- 200g/7ozs ground almonds/almond meal (plus more if needed)
- 150g/5ozs caster or superfine sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- A few drops almond extract
- 40g/1.4oz glace or amarena cherries
- 15g/0.5oz almonds, chopped and toasted
- 55g/2ozs icing or powdered sugar, sifted
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 140C/284F fan forced or 160C/320F conventional and line 2 baking trays with parchment. Whisk the egg whites with the salt until you get a meringue with stiff peaks. (Thermomix directions: insert butterfly whisk, 2-3 minutes, Speed #3.5). Mix the ground almonds, sugar, vanilla and almond flavouring together in a large bowl with the meringue. (Thermomix directions: add the almonds, sugar, vanilla nad almond flavouring to the meringue, set to speed 4 for 15 seconds, scrape down sides and repeat). It should form a thick paste that is not too sticky. If it is too sticky, add a tablespoon more or so of the ground almonds.
Step 2 - Sieve the icing or powdered sugar into a bowl ready. Dampen your hands with water and scoop out 28g/1oz balls of dough. Flatten slightly and place 1 cherry and a few pieces of toasted almond and then close the dough up and shape into a ball. Place in the icing/powdered sugar and roll around until well coated in the sugar. Place on the lined baking tray 1.5 inches apart as they will spread. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool on the tray for 30 minutes (they will be very delicate when first baked).
Storage tips: Once baked amaretti cookies will last for 1 week approximately in an airtight container. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Personal Note
These cookies are a great gift for anyone (well obvs except people that can't eat nuts!). Last week I travelled with the nicest group of women to Switzerland. Rhere were 10 of us from all over the world: Switzerland, Japan, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Holland, China, Canada, Portugal and Brazil and little ol' me from Australia.
I know how the sterotypes go that there will be catfights but honestly I think that's such a tired trope comes straight from the patriarchy. I could not have asked for 9 lovelier people to travel with. Everyone helped and supported each other. If someone dropped something, someone would help, if someone slipped the others would lift them up literally.
Hiromi from Japan also brought little gifts for us - little sachets of matcha latte drink which are perfect for travel writers because we always need a bit of caffeine and these are easy to make a ready made matcha latte using just hot water. It brought about a discussion from each of us about what we'd bring from our own countries. For Australia I'd probably bring Tim Tams because Vegemite is an acquired taste. But really I'd like to bring these amaretti cookies (even though they're from Italy)!
So tell me Dear Reader, do you like amaretti cookies? What small gift would you bring people from your country?