Soft Amaretti Cookies
Classic Italian almond cookies with lightly crisp, crackled shells and soft, chewy centres. Ground almonds give these flourless cookies their distinctive texture and flavour. Batch yield: 24 small amaretti cookies. One serving: 1 cookie, approximately 21 g after baking and cooling. Allow approximately 91 minutes from starting to completely cooled cookies: 25 minutes for preparation and shaping, 36 minutes for two sequential 18-minute oven batches, and 30 minutes for the final batch to cool. Prep_minutes includes the final cooling period but excludes oven time. Preheating overlaps preparation, and the first batch's cooling overlaps the second bake, so neither is counted twice. No chilling, butter softening or frosting is required. Appliances: Oven; Electric hand mixer. Equipment: Two 30 × 40 cm baking trays; Baking parchment; Digital kitchen scales; Mixing bowls; Silicone spatula; Shallow bowl; Measuring teaspoon; Wire cooling rack. Allergens: Contains egg whites and almonds. Check the ground almonds, almond extract and icing sugar packaging for any additional declared allergens or cross-contact warnings. Storage: Cool completely before packing. Keep airtight at cool room temperature for up to 4 days, or refrigerate for up to 7 days. Freeze in an airtight container, with baking parchment between layers, for up to 2 months. Thaw covered at room temperature for approximately 1 hour. Refrigeration will make the centres firmer.
55 min
Prep
36 min
Cook
24
Serves
103
Calories
Macros · per serving
3g protein
12g carbs
5g fat
Ingredients
For 24 servings
- 250 g Ground almonds
- 180 g Caster sugar
- 70 g Egg whites, from approximately 2 large eggs
- 5 ml Almond extract
- 40 g Icing sugar
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 170°C conventional / 340°F conventional / 150°C fan. Line two 30 × 40 cm baking trays with baking parchment. Bake the trays separately on the middle shelf for even results.
- 2
Separate the eggs and weigh 70 g of whites into a mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, whisk to soft peaks. Add the caster sugar in three additions, beating well after each, until the mixture is thick and glossy and holds firm peaks. Briefly beat in the almond extract.
- 3
Fold in the ground almonds with a spatula until evenly incorporated. The mixture should become a thick, slightly sticky dough that holds its shape.
- 4
Put the icing sugar in a shallow bowl. Divide the dough into 24 portions of approximately 21 g each. Roll gently into balls, then roll each ball in the icing sugar. Arrange 12 on each prepared tray, leaving at least 4 cm between them. Distribute any icing sugar remaining in the bowl over the cookies. Leave the second tray at room temperature while the first bakes.
- 5
Bake the first tray for 18 minutes. The cookies should have dry, lightly crisp shells with small cracks and pale golden bases; their centres should still feel soft beneath the set surface. They should not look wet or collapse when gently touched.
- 6
Remove the first tray and immediately bake the second tray for 18 minutes. Let each batch rest on its baking tray for 5 minutes before carefully transferring the cookies to a wire rack. Cool for a further 25 minutes, until completely cool. The first batch cools while the second batch bakes.
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