Amaretti Cookies

A cookie is such a delightful baked goodie that everyone, young or old enjoys them, and for most people stopping their munching at just one cookie is always difficult. This is exactly the reason why there are so many cookie recipes to be found and experimented with. Lots of places around the world add their own distinct flavor, taste and aroma to the cookies. One such cookie is the amaretti cookies. An Italian name for macaroons, Amaretti means little bitter things.

These cookies are slightly dome-shaped, soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The main ingredients include ground almonds or almond paste baked with egg whites and sugar. They can be plain or flavored, popular flavoring include chocolate or liqueurs. Sometimes, these contain jam or cream fillings sandwiched between two cookies. But that hasn't stopped many from trying out various variations to add a twist to the taste of the cookies.

Recipe 1
Ingredients

• Ground almond, 2 cups
• Fine sugar, 1 cup
• Egg whites, 3
• Almond extract, 1 tsp
• Vanilla extract, ½ tsp
• Sugar for dusting, 1 tsp

Method

In a food processor, grind almond flour and sugar together. Add almond and vanilla extract, and pulse once more for a couple of seconds. Drop egg whites, 3 - 4 spoons full at a time. Continue pulsing, until the dough is smooth. It should be smooth enough to pass through a piping, yet firm enough to hold the shape. Line a parchment sheet on a baking dish, and either spoon or pipe dough. Dust with some sugar, and bake in a preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, until dough rises and appears crisp, which should take about half an hour.

Recipe 2
Ingredients

• Silvered and grounded almond, 12 ounces
• Castor sugar, 10 ounces
• Egg whites, 4
• Amaretto liqueur, 2 tsp
• Glazed cherries, halved, 1 cup

Method

Beat egg whites until firm and perky. Fold in Castor sugar and almond flour. Spoon in liqueur and blend well. Line a greased baking paper, and drop a tablespoon heap onto it, about an inch apart. Gently press a single halved cherry on top of the heap. Bake in a moderately heated oven until cookies become crisp.

If you are worried about the calories in amaretti cookies, then opt for low sugar, else one serving of a cookie is about 16 calories, subjected to variations depending upon the ingredient and the change in size. A good substitute would be flour of sweet almonds instead of the normal or slightly bitter ones. It is best not to substitute it for another type of flour, as amaretties are all about almonds and their distinctive flavor. Almond paste may be also used.

Amaretti cookies are traditionally served as part of desserts with some liqueur. But don't let that stop you, have them at anytime and any day, with a glass of milk, or just alone. Another use for these cookies is that one can crush them and use it to flavor other desserts. As it is made of almonds, it can add a lovely aroma to any goodie. And try lots of shapes, from a circular to an oval to cylindrical to a flat biscuit kind!