Amaretti Cookies
Classic Italian almond cookies: crisp, lightly chewy amaretti with a crackly sugar-dusted top and intense almond flavor, made from just almond flour, sugar, egg whites, and a touch of vanilla and almond extract. Naturally gluten-free, easy, and even better after a day or two.
Equipment
- Food processor
- Baking sheets
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour or 3 cups blanched slivered almonds, finely ground
- 1 1/4 cups baker's sugar (superfine sugar)
- 3 egg whites
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- extra sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 300°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make the Dough: In a food processor, pulse together the almond flour and sugar. Add the vanilla and almond extract and pulse a few seconds. Add the egg whites one at a time, processing until the dough is smooth.
- Shape and Dust: Drop teaspoonfuls of dough onto the parchment-lined sheets, spacing them apart, and dust the tops with extra sugar.
- Bake: Bake at 300°F for 24 to 30 minutes, until golden brown (for chewier cookies, bake about 20 to 24 minutes).
- Cool: Cool completely before serving. They'll be slightly chewy at first and become nicely crisp over a day or two.
Notes
Use almond extract for authentic amaretti flavor. Process the dough until smooth for an even texture. Dust the tops with sugar before baking for the classic crackled finish. Bake longer for crisp cookies, shorter for chewy, they firm up and crisp as they cool and sit. Keep them small (teaspoon-size) so they bake evenly. Roll in powdered sugar before baking for an even prettier crackled top. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place; they keep a couple of weeks and improve over the first day or two. Can use store-bought almond flour or finely ground blanched slivered almonds.