Italian Amaretti Cookies Food

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.

AMARETTI - ITALIAN CHEWY ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• If you're using whole peeled almonds, toast them in the oven until lightly brown. This will give a darker color and more bright flavor to amaretti.
• Once almonds reach desired color, cool them completely.
• Pulse almonds and bitter apricot kernels (if you opt to use those as in traditional Italian recipe) with sugar in a food processor as finely as you can.
• NOTE: if you are using almond flour, use confectioners sugar instead of regular sugar. This way you don't need to use a food processor. Simply mix everything in the bowl.
• Add almond extract.
• Beat egg white with a pinch of salt until completely white and fluffy.
• Start to fold egg white into sugar and almond mix. Add a couple of table spoons at a time. You should reach silky and stiff consistency of the cookie dough. NOTE: You may not need to use all egg whites, just enough to get the dough together.
• Sprinkle work surface with some powdered/confectioners sugar.
• Pinch off some dough and roll it into ⅔ of an inch rope.Using a dough scraper cut the rope into ⅔ of an inch pieces.
• Roll each "pillow" giving it a ball shape (size of a walnut) and roll it in generous amount of confectioners sugar.
• Place each cookie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.Decorate with an almond nut (optional).
• Bake in preheated to 350F oven for 12-15 minutes, just until inside the crinkles amaretti become lightly brown.

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 COOKIES

Steps:

• 1.Position the oven rack so that it is at the bottom of the oven.
• 2.Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
• 3.Check that your ground almonds are as fine as possible. You can always pass them through a blender to make sure.
• 4.In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground almonds, salt and sugar, mixing well with a fork.
• 5.Next mix in the eggs (all at once - no need to beat in advance), and almond essence.
• 6.Line two cookie sheet with baking paper, and using a tablespoon, make round balls of cookie dough and place them on the baking sheet (leaving 2cm of space between each).Press either an almond or pistachio onto thetop of ech cookie.
• 7.Cook for 10 minutes on the lowest rack in the oven, then move the rack to the middle of the oven and bake an additional 5 minutes.Leave to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes.
• 8.Using a small sieve, sprinkle each cookie with a light dust of powder (icing) sugar.

AMARETTI ITALIAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Mix chopped almonds, 2 cups white sugar, and cocoa powder together in a bowl; add eggs and almond extract and stir until batter is well mixed. Form teaspoonfuls of batter into small balls.
• Place 1/4 cup sugar in a bowl and roll balls in the sugar. Press a finger into the center of each ball, making an indentation. Place 1 almond in each indentation. Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges begin to crisp, about 15 minutes.

AMARETTI COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Break the almond paste into small pieces and place in bowl of electric mixer along with the sugar.
• Mix on low speed until very fine.
• Add the egg whites in three additions, mix well after each addition.
• Continue mixing the dough until very smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Place a tablespoon of dough on the cookie sheet (space them 1 inch apart).
• Lightly press the top of each cookie to smooth out the surface.
• Sprinkle a little sugar on top of each cookie.
• Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cookies have risen, are a deep golden color and have tiny cracks.
• Remove from the oven.
• When cool gently peel cookies from parchment.
• Note: If they stick to the parchment, turn the paper over, take a damp paper towel and gently wipe the bottom of the parchment paper to loosen the cookie.

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.