Amaretti Cookies: A Stranger Chased Me Down for the Recipe

They're that good.

These are chewy and almond-y, and quite addictive. They are also gluten-free, dairy-free, and kosher for Passover.  Recipe first, backstory after on how a stranger tracked me down for the recipe.

Yield: approximately 24 cookies

Ingredients

·       200g (1 cup) granulated sugar

·       2 large egg whites (80g), at room temperature

·       1 tsp almond extract

·       ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

·       pinch of sea salt

·       280g (2 ½ cups) almond flour

·       Confectioner's sugar for coating

Instructions

1.     Preheat oven to 350F. Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper.

2.     In a large bowl, combine the almond flour with the granulated sugar.

3.     In another bowl, whisk the egg whites and the salt until soft peaks form. You can do this by hand. If using a stand mixer, use the balloon whisk for this step. Add the almond and vanilla extracts and mix just until combined.

4.     If using the stand mixer, switch to the K-beater (also called the flat beater). Add the almond flour and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. The dough should be the consistency of almond paste, which means it’s going to be an actual dough (as opposed to a batter) and it will hold its shape when you roll it into a ball.

5.     Using a spoon or a small scoop, portion into balls. I use a #50 disher—it’s the perfect size. You should end up with approximately 24 cookies, weighing approximately 21g each.

6.     Roll each ball in confectioner's sugar. Place on baking sheet, 12 cookies per sheet. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a drinking glass.

7.     Bake for 15-20 minutes. The cookies will slightly rise, spread a little, and form cracks on the surface. Check on them after 13 minutes. They should be golden brown on top and bottom and just set, but still soft and chewy in the middle. Take care to not overbake.

8.     Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

9.     They can be frozen for about a month, well-wrapped. To defrost, unwrap and let sit at room temperature. Re-coat with powdered sugar if necessary.  

Backstory

A few summers ago, I was on a committee to help with the cooking for a fundraiser at a beachfront estate. These cookies looked great amid the other desserts, artfully arranged on the dessert table. They were just right for a summer afternoon in which a fruit salad was the main accompaniment.

A friend of mine sent me the link for the recipe. I read through it, and I was skeptical. In my Italian family, the brown, crunchy amaretti cookies (imported from Italy) were a staple. Whenever I had made amaretti cookies at home, the recipe invariably called for almond paste, which is not always easy to find. These cookies, however, were neither brown, crunchy, nor did they call for almond paste. They contained almond flour, plus almond extract. They had been rolled in powdered sugar before baking, and they came out of the oven white, almost like Mexican wedding cakes. The texture was chewy and very almond-y, like marzipan, but in cookie form. The best word to describe them is “addictive.” I got lots of compliments on those cookies that day.

But the strangest thing happened about a week later. I got a call from an unknown number. The woman told me her name, and explained: “I was at the fundraiser, and I can’t stop thinking about those almond cookies. I had to ask around to find out who made them. I tracked you down. That’s how I got your number. Will you please share the recipe? They are amazing.”

I was flattered. Of course I sent the recipe. (I’m a big believer in sharing recipes, because the idea of a "secret ingredient" or a "secret recipe" is a myth and a marketing gimmick, as I wrote here).

What I like about this recipe is that the ingredients are easy to find, they are pareve and kosher for Passover, and they taste wonderful, especially if you love all things almond, as I do.