Soft Amaretti Cookies, a scrumptious Italian almond cookie recipe made with only 4 ingredients and ready in well under 30 minutes from scratch. It's an easy foolproof recipe, naturally gluten-free cookies that are incredibly delicious, and a perfect bake during the festive season, but also all year round. The cookies have soft and chewy texture, ivory colour and delicate almond flavour.
Ground almonds are incredibly versatile, and add a fantastic almond touch to any bake. And these Italian cookies are a fine example of how simple ingredients can be transformed into exquisite recipes that everybody will love.
Take these amaretti cookies, or "amaretti morbidi" one of the most beloved Italian cookie recipe. So easy to make, but so heavenly delicious. Don't be put off by the word "morbidi", it doesn't actually translate as morbid, but soft, tender.
There are many variations of this recipe, although the ingredients are more or less the same. There are also "amaretti secchi", which are dry and crispy, and on that I will develop for sure when I try them too, they sound wonderful!
My take on the amaretti morbidi is very straightforward, the cookies have a nice chewiness and a lovely dome shape that makes them stand out from the regular flat cookies.
They use almond extract for a deeper, more intense almond flavour, although you can also use amaretto liqueur for a sharper touch. Texture-wise, they remind me of the coconut macaroons, which too use egg whites for a light, soft texture.
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients overview
- ground almonds - in the UK, ground almonds is the standard baking term, but in the US, the closest equivalent is almond flour, which is made from finely milled blanched almonds. Almond meal is a lot coarser, and will change the texture of the recipe
- sugar - I used granulated sugar, but caster or superfine sugar can also be used
- egg whites - the amount of egg whites used depends entirely on the size of the eggs. I only had small eggs in, so I used 3, but if you have use large eggs, 2 would be enough
- almond extract - for a punchier almond touch, I highly recommend using it if you can
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- separate the egg whites from the egg yolks
- add the egg whites to a large mixing bowl, and use a hand mixer to beat them until they hold soft peaks
- add 2 tablespoons of sugar to the eggs and beat again
- in separate bowl, mix the remaining sugar with the ground almonds, add the almond extract and beaten egg whites
- use a spatula to mix the ingredients into a thick, sticky paste
- use your hands to shape balls out of the paste, then roll the balls into granulated sugar
- arrange them onto 2 baking trays and bake at 160 degrees Celsius (320 Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes or until slightly pale yellow
Expert tips
Rolling the cookies into granulated sugar gives them a lovely crispy texture on the outside, while they remain soft and chewy on the inside. You can slightly flatten them after rolling in sugar, they won't flatten during baking if the ratio egg whites to ground almonds is right.
Make sure the cookies have a consistent size so they can bake evenly, I went for the size of a walnut, larger cookies will take longer to bake, up to 25 minutes, but do keep an eye on them.
You can also roll the cookies in icing sugar / powdered sugar for a crinkle look, the granulated sugar will make the outer shell crispier, while the fine sugar give a snowy touch.
Other Christmas cookies you might like
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Soft Amaretti Cookies
Ingredients
- 200 g ground almonds (almond flour, 2 cups + 1 tbsp)
- 150 g granulated sugar + 50 g to coat the cookies in (¾ cup + ¼ cup)
- egg whites from 3 small eggs
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius (320 Fahrenheit).
- Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until they hold soft peaks.
- Add 2 tablespoons of sugar, and beat again until they hold stiff peaks.
- In a separate bowl, mix the ground almonds with the remaining granulated sugar (not the 50 g used for coating), add the almond extract and beaten egg whites and use a spatula to mix them into a tick, sticky paste.
- Use your hands to shape out balls the size of a walnut, then coat each ball in granulated sugar.
- Arrange the cookies onto 2 baking trays line with non-stick paper (if the trays are not non-stick) and bake for 20 minutes or until they have a slightly pale colour around the edges.
- Remove the trays from the oven and allow them to cool down completely.
Video
Notes
- Rolling the cookies into granulated sugar gives them a lovely crispy texture on the outside, while they remain soft and chewy on the inside. You can slightly flatten them after rolling in sugar, they won't flatten during baking if the ratio egg whites to ground almonds is right.
- Make sure the cookies have a consistent size so they can bake evenly, I went for the size of a walnut, larger cookies will take longer to bake, up to 25 minutes, but do keep an eye on them.
- You can also roll the cookies in icing sugar / powdered sugar for a crinkle look, the granulated sugar will make the outer shell crispier, while the fine sugar give a snowy touch.
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