How to Make Amaretti Biscuits
Amaretti biscuits are a staple in many Italian homes, but everyone’s recipe is different! This Amaretti recipe has been passed down through generations and is my favourite. Join my mother-in-law, Maria, as she shares her family recipe for these delightful almond bites that are a little crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Amaretti are great for entertaining – or even gift-giving this festive season.
Amaretti are delicious little bites of heaven. They’re crunchy on the outside, with a soft and chewy centre. And they’re made with just a few simple ingredients – almonds, sugar, egg white and vanilla extract. They also have a gorgeous aroma that fills your kitchen as they bake in the oven. Amaretti are one of my favourite Italian desserts. They are easy to make but require some patience and skill.
The most important thing is to wait until they cool completely before you try one! If you don’t have the time or patience to wait for them to cool, I recommend trying another recipe instead. Amaretti are the perfect accompaniment to espresso or cappuccino. But they’re also great as a snack or after-dinner treat. They’re delicious with ice cream and fresh fruit, too.
Watch Amaretti Biscuits video recipe:
How to Make Gluten Free Almond Amaretti Cookies Like An Italian
Nonna Maria’s Top Tips To Make Amaretti Biscuits
Just add some extra
Add some extra almond meal if the mixture is too wet and sticky.
Dip and Spread
If your hands are getting too sticky to roll the amaretti, get a bowl and place some water inside, dip a finger into it, and spread it to both palms to help smoothen the process.
Use parchment paper
Line your baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent the amaretti biscuits from sticking and to make for easier cleanup.
Let them cool completely.
After baking, let the amaretti biscuits cool completely on the baking sheet before removing them. This will help them to set and become crispy.
Amaretti Biscuits
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Teaspoon
- Baking Tray
- Baking Paper
Ingredients
- 500 grams Almond Meal 5.2 cups
- 300 grams Caster sugar 1.33 cup
- 5 Egg whites Use free range eggs that are room temperature
- 1 bottle Almond essence 1.07 Oz
- Bowl of icing sugar plus extra for dusting!
Instructions
- To start making your Italian amaretti biscuits, separate 5 egg whites from the yolk into a medium mixing bowl and whisk them well.
- Once there are lots of bubbles at the top of the egg whites, add the almond essence and whisk gently once again so it completely infuses them.
- Mix the almond meal and caster sugar together in a separate bowl until the sugar seems to disappear.
- Next for your amaretti biscotti, pour the egg white mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix through using a large spoon.
- Once this has all started to bind, use your hands to combine everything even more and make sure that everything mixes really well together, still keeping it all inside the large bowl.
- Don’t try and make it into a ball, just squeeze down with your hands so it stays ???
- Now you can let the amaretti mixture rest for an hour (or overnight in the fridge).
- If you’re making them on the same day, wash your hands, and once this has had time to rest, get ready to roll!
- When it’s time to make the amaretti biscotti, prepare a large flat baking tray by spreading baking paper on top and pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees celcius/356 F.
- Using a tea spoon, scoop up a heaped amount of mixture, roll it around using the palm of your hand, and make it into a ball.
- Place the ball gently into a bowl of icing sugar and repeat until the bowl is almost full.
- Roll each amaretti ball around in icing sugar and then gently place it on the baking tray.
- Line the balls up, making sure you don’t place them too close together.
- Once the tray is completely full, with enough space in between each one, flatten out your hand, and press down gently onto each ball making the surface flat. This will create some cracks and provide the perfect form for your amaretti biscotti!
- Dust with one more sprinkle of icing sugar all over before placing them in the oven for approx. 15 minutes – but check them after about 12 minutes as all ovens vary!
- E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!
Video
How to serve Amaretti Biscuits
Leave the amaretti to cool, or enjoy it nice and warm with a cup of tea, coffee or hot cocoa!
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Just made the biscuits and they were so easy and delicious, thank you for the recipe. ♥♥
Homemade biscuits can be a wonderful addition to any meal and can be enjoyed in so many different ways. I hope you get to enjoy them again soon!
Is this correct – 5.2 cups almond flour? Seems like an awful lot for 20 cookies!
The recipe calls for 5.2 cups of almond flour, which is a lot for 20 cookies. However, almond flour is a very absorbent ingredient, so it takes a lot of it to make a dough that is the right consistency.
If you’re worried about the amount of almond flour, you can try reducing the amount by half. However, I would recommend doing a test batch first to see how the cookies turn out.
I made these and they were amazing.
That’s fantastic to hear! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. Please do try my other pastry recipes. 🇮🇹🍪😊
It’s my understanding that almond flour and almond meal may have different outcomes in recipes if one is substituted for the other. Is this correct? If so, does it make a difference for this recipe if almond meal or almond flour is used? Thanks!
You are absolutely correct that almond flour and almond meal can have different outcomes in recipes due to their texture and consistency. Almond flour is typically finer and made from blanched almonds with the skins removed, while almond meal is coarser and made from almonds with the skins intact.