Light, airy and crisp, these Italian holiday cookies are an absolute dream – and they’re also gluten-free. Known as Amaretti Croccanti, they are great alongside a hot cup of coffee in the morning or with dessert wine after dinner. They are made by whipping egg whites and sugar into a meringue, folding in ground almonds, piping them onto sheet pan and letting standing to dry until touched (approx four hours) before baking. The ground almonds gives the cookies a delightful earthy and nutty taste.
This crispy amaretti cookies recipe comes from food writer, recipe developer, and self-confessed baking obsessive Ben Mims’ cookbook, Crumbs: Cookies and Sweets from Around the World. It contains 300 recipes across 100 countries, including his melt-in-your-mouth Canestrelli Italian Butter Cookies and chocolate-coated Italian Gingerbread Cookies.
Mims writes: “This style of Amaretti Croccanti is the dry, crunchy kind most people outside of Italy know well. Sold in ornate tins or wrapped in tissue paper, they’re made by whipping egg whites and sugar into a meringue before mixing in ground almonds, which makes them crispier.”
“The most popular amaretti are from Saronno, a small town in Lombardy. Amaretti di Saronno are usually made with ground apricot kernels instead of almonds. A softer version of the cookie, Amaretti Morbidi, is typically made with plain almonds. And in a variation called Mandorlini del Ponte, the whipped egg whites are cooked and flour is folded into the mix, creating a brittle shell on the outside of the cookies.”
Crunchy Amaretti vs. Soft Amaretti: What’s the Difference?
Amaretti cookies usually have two different textures based on the region where they’re coming from. A crispy amaretti cookies recipe, like this one, is usually called Amaretti Croccanti. The soft amaretti cookie is usually called Amaretti Morbidi, with “morbidi” meaning “soft.” While they both have a delightful almond flavour, here are the ways in which they differ:
- Texture:
- Amaretti Croccanti: light, crisp and crunchy.
- Amaretti Morbidi: soft, moist and chewy.
- Ingredients:
- Amaretti Croccanti: ismade from a meringue and hardens for four hours before baking for that extra crispy exterior.
- Amaretti Morbidi: uses almond flour and beaten egg whites for that marzipan-like texture in the centre.
- Pairings:
- Amaretti Croccanti: would be great dunked into a hot cup of coffee or served with a glass of dessert wine.
- Amaretti Morbidi: enjoyed as a delicious snack or dessert alongside a coffee.
FAQ
Are Amaretti Croccanti traditional Italian Christmas cookies?
Yes! These are often enjoyed alongside their softer counterparts (Amaretti Morbidi) during the holidays.
What’s the difference between amaretto and amaretti?
Amaretto would refer to the almond liqueur, while amaretti would be the almond cookies.
Amaretti Croccanti (Italian Almond Cookies)
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups blanched whole or slivered almonds
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 egg whites
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup icing sugar plus more for coating
- ½ tsp almond extract
- Pearl sugar for decorating (optional)
Instructions
- In food processor, pulse almonds until coarsely ground. Add granulated sugar and salt and pulse until finely ground.
- In large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks start to form. While mixing, slowly add icing sugar one spoonful at a time, increasing speed to medium-high and beating until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold in the almond mixture and almond extract until combined. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scrape dough into piping bag fitted with large plain tip and pipe mounds of dough 1½ in (4 cm) wide and 2 in (5 cm) apart onto prepared pans (see note). Sprinkle tops with pearl sugar (if using). Let cookies stand until dry to the touch, at least 4 hours.
- Arrange racks in top and bottom thirds of oven, then preheat to 275°F.
- Bake cookies in top and bottom thirds of oven, rotating and switching pans halfway through, for 25 minutes. Increase temperature to 350°F and continue baking until cookies are golden brown and dry to the touch, 3 to 8 minutes.
- Let cool on pan on racks.
Notes
Recipes excerpted from Crumbs © 2024 Ben Mims. Adapted for ELLE Gourmet. Photography © 2024 by Simon Bajada. Reproduced by permission of Phaidon. All rights reserved.
More delicious and festive holiday cookie recipes
Also known as Mostaccioli Napoletani, these chocolate-dipped cookies are warmly spiced with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. These would be perfect for holiday baking and gifting.
Get the recipe
Also known as Mostaccioli Napoletani, these chocolate-dipped cookies are warmly spiced with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. These would be perfect for holiday baking and gifting.
Get the recipe
These soft and chewy cookies are loaded with premium white chocolate chunks, roasted macadamia nuts and shredded coconut. It's a gourmet treat for any occasion and perfect for holiday gifting.
Get the recipe
These soft and chewy cookies are loaded with premium white chocolate chunks, roasted macadamia nuts and shredded coconut. It's a gourmet treat for any occasion and perfect for holiday gifting.
Get the recipe
A classically-inspired recipe for crumbly, flower-shaped shortbread cookies – a festive staple in Italy.
Get the recipe
A classically-inspired recipe for crumbly, flower-shaped shortbread cookies – a festive staple in Italy.
Get the recipe
Elegant, buttery and delicately crisp, these French sablé Linzer-style cookies bring a chic Parisian touch to classic holiday baking. With a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a jewel-like centre of fruit jam, they’re festive, refined and beautiful on any holiday dessert tray.
Get the recipe
Elegant, buttery and delicately crisp, these French sablé Linzer-style cookies bring a chic Parisian touch to classic holiday baking. With a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a jewel-like centre of fruit jam, they’re festive, refined and beautiful on any holiday dessert tray.
Get the recipe
Soft, chewy Lebkuchen cookies are the German cousin to North American gingerbread. Instead of molasses, the lebkuchen recipe uses honey for sweetness. A traditional German Christmas cookie it uses nuts, candied peel and eggs – but no flour.
Get the recipe
Soft, chewy Lebkuchen cookies are the German cousin to North American gingerbread. Instead of molasses, the lebkuchen recipe uses honey for sweetness. A traditional German Christmas cookie it uses nuts, candied peel and eggs – but no flour.
Get the recipe
If you turn to only one cookie recipe this season, make it this one. Using melted butter is the key to a perfectly firm glaze. Use a fine microplane zester for the nutmeg garnish for a photo-worthy finish.
Get the recipe
If you turn to only one cookie recipe this season, make it this one. Using melted butter is the key to a perfectly firm glaze. Use a fine microplane zester for the nutmeg garnish for a photo-worthy finish.
Get the recipe
These chewy ginger cookies are soft, spicy and packed with the flavours of blackstrap molasses and ginger. Crisp around the edges and tender in the centre, they’re the perfect treat for holiday baking, cookie swaps or anytime you crave a soft, flavourful cookie.
Get the recipe
These chewy ginger cookies are soft, spicy and packed with the flavours of blackstrap molasses and ginger. Crisp around the edges and tender in the centre, they’re the perfect treat for holiday baking, cookie swaps or anytime you crave a soft, flavourful cookie.
Get the recipe
