Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go
For 25-30 pieces
- 200g (2 cups) almond flour
- 150g (¾ cup) sugar (preferably brown)
- 2 egg whites
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon bitter almond extract (no more, the flavor is quite strong)
- powdered sugar for finishing (optional)
- about 30 unsalted pistachios (or almonds)
- In a mixing bowl, combine the almond flour with the sugar, then add the bitter almond extract and orange blossom water. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form, then fold them into the dry mixture. Mix gently - the mixture should be grainy without being too compact. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one to two hours (this will make it easier to shape the cookies).
- Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Dampen your hands with a little water. Form balls the size of a small walnut, roll them in powdered sugar, exactly like crinkles, then place gently on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them a few centimeters apart. Press lightly in the center and place a whole pistachio or almond in the middle. Bake on the middle rack for about 12 to 15 minutes, just until the amaretti crack without browning. Let cool on a wire rack.
Amaretti are perfect alongside coffee and will keep very well for up to two weeks (if they haven’t been devoured before then) in an airtight container.
Variations
- This amaretti recipe can serve as a base and you can also flavor them with the zest of an orange or lemon.
- If you don’t have powdered sugar, you can replace it with regular granulated sugar, or skip it altogether - they’re still delicious.
For more ideas for using up egg whites: