The Sardinian amaretti are delicious almond cookies that are quickly prepared and, unlike almond paste, they do not need to rest overnight in the fridge. Resting becomes necessary if too much egg white is used; in this case, they should be left at room temperature to dry out on the outside so they do not deform during baking.
Amaretti are prepared in many regions, the recipes are similar and there are many variations. In Sardinia, they are considered typical products, made with ground sweet almonds mixed with bitter almonds, lemon zest, sugar, and egg whites; few ingredients that make this cookie spectacular. In recent weeks, I have made two aromatic and delicious variations, one with coconut and almonds and one with pistachios and orange.
I think they are a wonderful Christmas gift idea, you can put them in special tin boxes or decorated Christmas bags along with canestrelli, cantucci and gingerbread cookies.
Try also
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 14 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring, Christmas
- Energy 172.16 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 20.72 (g) of which sugars 17.60 (g)
- Proteins 4.35 (g)
- Fat 9.13 (g) of which saturated 0.69 (g)of which unsaturated 7.97 (g)
- Fibers 2.30 (g)
- Sodium 8.80 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 35 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups almonds (sweet)
- 1/8 cup almonds (BITTER – you can replace them with the same weight of sweet almonds and add half a vial of almond essence)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg whites (70 g)
- lemon zest (grated, you need the zest of one organic lemon)
- as needed granulated sugar (for coating)
- 14 almonds (for garnish)
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Procedure
To get perfect almond flour, I recommend putting them in the freezer for 1 hour before blending. You can also use ready-made almond flour.
Chop the sweet and bitter almonds in the mixer with the sugar until you get a flour, pulse the food processor to avoid the nuts heating and releasing their oil.
If you do not have bitter almonds, replace them with the same weight of sweet almonds, adding half a vial of almond essence to the mixture, or you can buy them online, they are really great. If you want to take a look, you can find them here: bitter almonds.
Beat the egg whites until stiff.
Place the almond flour mixed with sugar into a bowl, add the grated lemon zest, and incorporate the beaten egg whites in two or three batches, working the mixture gently until you obtain a sticky dough.
Form balls of 35 g each.
Place some granulated sugar in a small bowl.Roll the amaretti in the sugar until they are completely covered, insert an almond in the center, place them on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and put it in the fridge for 1 hour.
Bake the cookies in a preheated static oven at 340°F (170°C) for about 18-20 minutes; they should remain soft inside but be well browned on the outside.
Remove from the oven and let them cool completely.The Sardinian amaretti are ready, store them in tin boxes to prevent them from absorbing moisture.
Tips
Storage
The Sardinian amaretti can be stored in tin boxes or pastry bags for 1 month.
***********************************
For tips on making the recipes, contact me on FACEBOOK and, if you like, follow me on INSTAGRAM
Send me your photos, I will be happy to publish them on my social media
