Bonnies Amaretti Cookies Food

BONNIE'S AMARETTI COOKIES

Steps:

• Line three baking sheets with Silpat baking mats.
• Grind almonds with granulated sugar in the bowl of a food processor until fine. Transfer to a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add almond extract. Gently stir egg-white mixture into almond mixture to form a thick paste.
• Drop dough in rounded teaspoons onto prepared baking sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and let stand at room temperature to dry for 2 hours.
• Place rack in center of oven, and preheat oven to 300 degrees. Transfer sheets to oven, and bake amaretti until edges are golden and cookies are firm, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI COOKIES

Steps:

• Adjust oven racks in the upper-third and lower-third positions. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Break the almond paste into small pieces and add it to the bowl of a food processer along with the sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Process until the almond paste is very finely chopped and well incorporated with the salt and sugar. Add the egg whites and vanilla, and process until a smooth dough forms, about 30 seconds. With a small scoop or spoon, dollop the batter onto the baking sheets, 1 tablespoon at a time, spaced 2 inches apart. Top each cookie with a few almond slivers and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
• Bake until the cookies have risen and cracked slightly but are still soft in the center, 13 to 14 minutes; rotate the baking sheets halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets. Store in an airtight container.

ITALIAN AMARETTI BISCUITS (COOKIES)

Steps:

• Combine the ground almonds with sugar, egg whites, vanilla and almond essence and mix well in small bowl of electric mixer.
• Beat mixture on medium speed for 3mins.
• Allow mixture to stand for 5 minutes.
• Prepare trays by lightly greasing and dusting with a little flour. Shake off excess flour.
• Spoon mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm (1/2") plain tube.
• Pipe in a circular motion from centre to make biscuits 4cm (11/2") in diameter onto prepared trays.
• Place a blanched almond on top of each biscuit.
• Bake in a moderate oven 350'F/180'C for 12-15 mins or until tops are lightly browned.
• Leave on tray a few minutes before removing with a spatula to cool on a wire rack.

EASIEST AMARETTI COOKIES EVER

Steps:

• Stir sugar and egg white until sugar has dissolved.
• Stir in amond flour and almond essence, but be careful: this mixture is too tough for a handmixer! I just dump everything in my bread machine and run the 'dough' program for a while until the dough is mixed evenly. A good food processor might do the job too ;-) Or just mix it thoroughly with a rubber spatula.
• Spoon the mixture into a cookie press to shape small round cookies or use a small ice cream scoop to form little balls.
• Place cookies 1/2 inch apart on greased cookie sheet or silpat.
• Bake for approximately 30 minutes at 300, place on lowest rack setting in your oven for the first 10 minutes.
• Cookies are done when they start to turn lightly golden. They will be chewy right after baking but will become very crisp overnight.