Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go
Makes 25-30
- 200 g (2 cups) almond flour
- 150 g (¾ cup) sugar (light brown sugar preferably)
- 2 egg whites
- 2 Tbsp orange blossom water (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp bitter almond extract (no more, the flavor is quite strong)
- powdered sugar (icing sugar) for finishing (optional)
- about 30 raw pistachios (or almonds)
- In a large bowl, mix the almond flour with the sugar, then add the bitter almond extract and the orange blossom water. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff, then fold them into the dry mixture. Mix gently; the mixture will be grainy without being too compact. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one to two hours (this will make the cookies easier to shape).
- Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Wet your hands with a little water. Form balls the size of a small walnut, roll them in powdered sugar, exactly like crinkles, then place them gently on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them a few centimeters apart. Press lightly in the middle and place a whole pistachio or almond in the center. Bake on the middle rack for about 12 to 15 minutes, just long enough for the amaretti to crack without browning. Let cool on a wire rack.
Amaretti are perfect with a cup of coffee, and they 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 a lemon.
- If you don’t have powdered sugar, you can replace it with regular granulated sugar, or skip it altogether; they are still very, very good.
For more ideas for using up egg whites: