Amaretti morbidi
Cookies from Piedmont and Liguria whose name comes from amaro — bitter, for the bitter almonds mixed in. They come in two kinds: crisp, dry amaretti di Saronno and soft amaretti morbidi, chewy inside — these. Three ingredients: almonds, sugar and egg white. The characteristic crackled surface comes from a double coating: first granulated sugar, then icing sugar — the granules draw moisture, and the icing sugar cracks in the oven.
Your own work in that: 10 min.
- Almond paste 15 min
- Resting 30 min
- Shaping 10 min
- Baking 18 min
- Cooling 10 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneMix the almonds with sugar
Mix the ground almonds with the sugar, lemon zest and salt. If the almonds are coarse, grind them briefly with the sugar in a processor — the sugar keeps them from turning into almond butter.
Ingredients: 250 g ground almonds · 200 g sugar · 2 pcs egg whites · ½ tsp almond extract · ½ pcs lemon · 1 pinch salt
Froth the whites lightly
Whisk the whites with the almond extract just until frothy, not stiff. Stiff whites give dry, tall cookies like meringues. Lightly frothed white binds the paste and gives a soft, chewy centre.
Ingredients: 250 g ground almonds · 200 g sugar · 2 pcs egg whites · ½ tsp almond extract · ½ pcs lemon · 1 pinch salt
Combine into a sticky paste
Fold the whites into the almonds with a spatula into a thick, sticky paste that holds its shape. It should not run off a spoon. If too loose, add a spoon of ground almonds.
Ingredients: 250 g ground almonds · 200 g sugar · 2 pcs egg whites · ½ tsp almond extract · ½ pcs lemon · 1 pinch salt
Thick and sticky — it must hold its shape.Rest half an hour
Cover and rest the paste 30 minutes at room temperature. The almonds absorb the white, the paste firms and is easier to shape. Freshly mixed, it sticks to your hands.
Ingredients: 250 g ground almonds · 200 g sugar · 2 pcs egg whites · ½ tsp almond extract · ½ pcs lemon · 1 pinch salt
Shape balls with wet hands
Wet your palms and roll walnut-sized balls, about 15 g. Even size matters — the cookies bake briefly, and mixed sizes mean the small ones burn before the large ones are done.
Ingredients: 250 g ground almonds · 200 g sugar · 2 pcs egg whites · ½ tsp almond extract · ½ pcs lemon · 1 pinch salt
Roll in granulated, then icing sugar
Roll each ball first in granulated sugar, then thickly in icing sugar, and flatten slightly. The granules draw moisture from the surface, and the thick icing sugar cracks in the oven into the characteristic white net.
Ingredients: 50 g granulated sugar · 60 g icing sugar
Granules, then icing sugar — that makes the crackle.Bake briefly until they crack
Bake 15–18 minutes at 170°C, until risen, cracked and faintly golden at the base. The centre should still be soft when you take them out — it sets as they cool.
Ingredients: 250 g ground almonds · 200 g sugar · 2 pcs egg whites · ½ tsp almond extract · ½ pcs lemon · 1 pinch salt
Cracked and golden at the base — centre still soft.Cool on the tray
Cool on the tray 10 minutes, then on a rack. Hot amaretti are too soft to move and flatten. Serve with coffee or crumble over tiramisu and ice cream.
Ingredients: 250 g ground almonds · 200 g sugar · 2 pcs egg whites · ½ tsp almond extract · ½ pcs lemon · 1 pinch salt
Before you start
Bitter almonds or apricot kernels
In the original the bitterness comes from bitter almonds or ground apricot kernels. Both are hard to find and in large amounts unsafe. Half a teaspoon of almond extract gives the same aroma safely.
Naturally gluten free
Amaretti contain no wheat flour, so they are naturally gluten free. Just check that the ground almonds and icing sugar contain no added wheat starch.
A week in a tin
Soft amaretti keep a week in an airtight tin and stay chewy inside. Over time they dry out — then they are perfect for crumbling over desserts, such as peaches baked with amaretti.
