Amaretti Almond Macaroons Food

AMARETTI (ITALIAN MACARON COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325° F. Line baking pan with parchment paper.
• In a stand mixer or food processor, blend the almond paste, sugar, and salt until crumbly.
• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until very frothy. (Don't beat long enough to form peaks.)
• Gradually add almond extract, bitter almond oil, and beaten egg whites to the almond paste mixture.
• Using a small scoop, form cookies and place on prepared baking sheet.
• Sprinkle cookies lightly with confectioners' sugar and sliced almonds.
• Using three fingers, press indentations into the center of each cookie. (This keeps them from puffing up too much during baking.)
• Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until the very edges are just turning golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

AMARETTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a food processor, grind the almonds into a fine meal. Add the sugar and continue to process for another 15 seconds. Finally, add egg whites and almond extract, continue to process until a smooth dough forms around the blade.
• Using a teaspoon, place well rounded spoonfuls of dough onto prepared baking sheets. Cookies should be at least 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Cookies should be golden. Allow cookies to cool completely on the paper before removing. Store in a dry place.