Italian Almond Cookies

HOW TO MAKE ITALIAN ALMOND COOKIES

Almond cookies are traditional to the Southern region of Sicily and they are often decorated beautifully and served on platters for special occasions.

This particular recipe is rich with history, dating back more than 80 years and was brought to Australia by Italian immigrant and renowned pastry-chef, Giorgio – now 94 years old. These almond biscuits are sold by Brunetti Classico in Melbourne and are one of their most popular delicacies.

Aside from their irresistible almond flavour, their unique quality is the delicate crunch on the outside and soft centre. Once you add a flaked almond or a small dollop of your favourite jam, you will find it hard to resist making these on repeat. Plus, they’re gluten free!

Watch the Italian Almond Cookies video recipe:

 

How To Make Italian ALMOND COOKIES | A Sicilian Tradition

Almond cookies recipe

Vincenzo’s Plate Tips

MAKING THE ALMOND MEAL

You can enhance the flavor by making your own almond meal and combining it with sugar. This makes the process a little longer but is absolutely worth it.

BE CREATIVE – MAKE YOUR OWN VERSION OF THESE BISCOTTI

There are so many ways to decorate your Almond cookies. Don’t feel restricted by the ways you have seen the biscuits decorated in this video, create your own using flavours, nuts and jams you adore.

HOW TO MAKE IT STICK!

You simply make the paste, the one that help ensure the almond flakes stick to your cookies, by combining egg white and icing sugar. When making it, ensure that it is thick by adding extra icing sugar or it will absorb into the dough rather than sticking to the outside. Naturally the best way to combine the two ingredients and reach the right consistency is by using your hands!

 SIZE MATTERS!

For these Almond Cookies, each portion of dough used to make an individual biscuit weighs 30g. This means the cooking time is only 6 minutes. If you decide to make them larger, make sure you adjust the cooking time accordingly. It might take some trial and error but the key is: crunchy at first bite, then soft through the centre.

Italian Almond cookies recipe

 How To Serve Italian Almond Cookies

Serve alongside a cup of hot coffee or a tea. You can stack these on a cake tray, placing any with cherries or jam at the top, or simply line them up on an oval/round platter or even a chopping board.

Don’t forget to add the extra icing sugar before serving!

Amaretti cookies

Italian Almond cookies recipe

Italian Almond Cookies

Step into Sicily's culinary heritage with this Italian almond cookie recipe. Rooted in an 80-year tradition these gluten-free delicacies offer a delightful contrast: a delicately crispy exterior and a tender, almond-infused center. This cherished recipe, adorned with flaked almonds or a dollop of your preferred jam, invites you on a flavorful journey through tradition and taste, embodying the essence of Sicilian richness and history in every bite.
3 from 4 votes

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Flat biscuit baking tray x 2
  • Sieve

Ingredients
  

  • 300 grams Almond Meal 10.5oz. or freshly ground almonds
  • 360 grams Icing sugar 12.6oz
  • 30 grams Honey 1oz
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Vanilla essence or scraped vanilla bean
  • Lemon Zest
  • Orange Zest
  • 5 Egg Whites
  • Sour cherries or candied fruits
  • Almond Flakes
  • Extra icing sugar for dusting

Instructions
 

  • Mix the almond meal, icing sugar and honey into a large bowl.
  • Add the cinnamon and zest of both an orange and a lemon.
  • Combine using your hands, gently in one direction, then start to slowly pour in a portion of the egg whites.
  • Start with approximately 1/3, then mix, add a second portion of the egg whites, mix again then finally add the rest.
  • Continue to combine using your hands, squeezing down using your fingers and all of the dry ingredients will start to form into a dough.
  • Mix until it thickens and there are no dry ingredients left. This should then form into a dough ball.
  • Break off a small piece of dough and roll it into a ball, it should form easily and not crumble at all, this is how you know it’s ready.
  • Prepare a large flat baking tray lined with baking paper.
  • Pulling off small portions of the dough, create small balls by rolling it between the palms of your hand. If you wish to be precise, they should weigh 30g each.
  • There are several ways you can prepare the final biscotti, some options are:
  • Dip the ball into a bowl of water and then roll it in icing sugar. Using your index finger, press down gently on top then once baked, top with jam and crushed nuts.
  • Flatten the ball, place a sour cherry in the middle, wrap the dough back around it, roll it again.
  • Dip the ball into a mixture of egg white and icing sugar then cover it with flaked almonds and pinch it. You can even use the one you stuffed with the cherry!
  • Place all of your biscotti onto the baking tray, leaving the space of approx. 1 biscuit between each one.
  • Bake at 230°C/446°F for 6 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool before dusting with icing sugar.

Video

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate…Enjoy!!!

Italian Almond Cookies Vincenzo's Plate

I want to suggest you other 2 super easy and delicious Italian cookie recipes you can make in no-time!

How to make Italian wine Cookies

  • AMARETTI BISCUITS 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.

How to make italian amaretti

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8 Responses to Italian Almond Cookies

  1. Anthony December 20, 2023 at 12:50 PM #

    2 stars
    I made these today. Most Americans don’t have a scale in the kitchen. The dough turned to soup after the first 2 egg whites. I had to add more almond meal and more and more and refrigerate the dough just to get workable. The biscotti were thrashed at 450 F. I think 350 would have worked better. The powdered sugar burned within 3 minutes and the cookies were glued to the sheet tray. The dough was still undercooked even after an eight-minute cook time. I wasted a lot of money on this recipe. It needs more advice on the consistency of the dough or the size of the eggs. Americans have extra large or jumbo eggs, usually. Nobody buys medium eggs. I’m not naïve to making cookies, but this recipe was a disaster. I love your channel and so this was a shock.

    • Vincenzo's Plate December 22, 2023 at 12:49 PM #

      I’m sorry to hear about the challenges you faced. Your feedback is valuable, and I appreciate your honesty. To address the issues, you can try using fewer egg whites or adding almond meal gradually until you achieve a workable consistency. Lowering the oven temperature to 350 F is a good adjustment, and using parchment paper can prevent sticking.

  2. Rebeca December 23, 2023 at 9:27 AM #

    4 stars
    I made these and the problem is that I got almond flour instead of almond meal. There is a difference. It was sticky but i fixed by adding 8 heaping table spoons of all purpose flour. I am hoping to salvage the cookies. They are going into the oven now.

    • Vincenzo's Plate December 27, 2023 at 6:55 PM #

      Hey there, Rebeca! Great improvisation with the all-purpose flour to fix the stickiness. How did it biscuits go? Did the all-purpose flour worked?

  3. Anthony December 24, 2023 at 5:30 PM #

    3 stars
    Thank you for replying, Vincenzo. In the days since attempting this recipe I have discovered a mistake. I did not whip the egg whites. I added the egg whites as a liquid and no amount of almond meal could overcome the moisture. I would like to know if you would consider reviewing your recipe instructions to make it clear that the egg whites are whipped prior to incorporation? I will attempt to make amaretti again. But the next time, I will whip the egg whites. Merry Christmas! Buon Natale!

    • Vincenzo's Plate December 27, 2023 at 7:10 PM #

      Grazie for letting me know! It’s great you discovered the culprit behind the moisture. I’ll absolutely review the instructions to make sure it’s crystal clear for future bakers. And please, don’t let this misstep discourage you from trying the amaretti again!

  4. Joe Castagliola December 28, 2023 at 1:22 PM #

    3 stars
    I have made two batches using this recipe. I used almond flour in both batches. The first time, I wound up baking the cookies for close to 12 minutes, but mine was larger than 30 gm. This batch came out well and my favorites were the version with sliced almonds (flakes). However, the dough is too loose and doesn’t hold it’s shape during the bake, so there is a lot of spread. Note that I used refrigerated egg whites from a container.

    The second time I made them was earlier today. I used a cookie scoop and each was 30gm (plus or minus a gram or two on some). This time the dough was extremely soft, but I wanted to see how they baked up. Note that this time I used the whites from 5 eggs. These cookies spread excessively and were very sticky. They taste great, but there needs to be adjustments to ingredient amounts. I am thinking 4 egg whites maximum and that is what I will try next.

    Some feedback on texture and taste: These cookies are a good improvement over typical “nonna’s recipe” versions of amaretti cookies. The taste and texture are more aligned to what is purchased from an Italian bakery (pasticerria) in a large US city. The vanilla and honey are an improvement in taste to nonna versions.

    Why did I keep both batches of dough loose? The main reason was to see how well they would hold their shape during the bake as well as to determine how easy they would be to pipe from a star tip (which I did not use, but I could still gauge). At specified ratios, the dough has too much liquid to hold it’s shape during the bake, but would be very easy to pipe. I believe a reduction down to 4 egg whites or perhaps 115g of egg whites (as an estimate) might provide a balance that would allowing for piping without excessive force and the ability to hold shape during a bake with a star tip. I will experiment more, but I am grateful for this recipe and won’t go back to the nonna versions I tried before.

    • Vincenzo's Plate January 3, 2024 at 7:15 PM #

      Hey there! I appreciate your experimentation and observations. Adjusting the egg whites and finding that balance for piping and shape retention is a great idea. Your dedication to perfecting the recipe is truly commendable. I’m thrilled to hear that you find these amaretti biscuits a tasty improvement. Happy baking, and I look forward to hearing more about your experiments!

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