And to round up my recent Italy posts, I will leave you with a little taste of La Dolce Vita. As it is likely to be a short while before I get my next Italy fix, I thought I would attempt to make something we always associate with Italy, and something that’s good at any time of day, whether it’s with an early morning ristretto, or with a glass of Amaretto after dinner. I’m not fussy!
It’s a little bit of shame however, as homemade does of course mean that the biscuits don’t come wrapped in the feather light paper that certain brands are famous for. I reckon many a dinner party has ended with these tiny twists of paper being fashioned into cylinder shapes and set on fire, only to take to the air like moths that have danced a little too close to the flame, before drifting back down again in a mess of cinders (that’s of course if they didn’t land on your upturned face)!
There are many regional varieties of Amaretti too. Some are left out over night before baking to achieve a hard and crunchy texture, whilst others are more macaroon like. Some are made with a mixture of ground almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts, whilst the more traditional contain bitter almonds and apricot kernels. This recipe is definitely a hybrid of the two, crisp and crunchy on the outside, whilst soft and chewy in the middle. You won’t need to search for Apricot Kernels either:-
4 beaten egg whites,
340g ground almonds
340g fine sugar
40ml Amaretto Liqueur
a couple of drops of almond essence
Preheat the oven to 170DegC. Fold the ground almonds into the beaten egg whites, followed by the sugar. Add the Amarett0, and the almond essence to the mixture and spoon into a piping bag. Pipe smallish rounds onto a lined baking sheet (around an inch apart), and bake for around 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool, then see how many you can fit in your mouth at once…
And yes I know they look the size of babies rusks, but you will have to trust me on this one, both the cup and the espresso maker are incredibly small. It also made me laugh that after an Ewok in my last post, one of the first photos I took reminded me of another other worldly creature, with a wish to contact home…
PS. Having sent Mr R to work with the rest of these (to save me from myself you understand), I have it on good authority that they passed the taste test with a real Italian…
PPS. I found out this week I am a Bib Travel Finalist, and in very fine company too… Thanks so much if you voted for me! (:
joining everyone else and saying yum!
Thank you Fiona! :) x
These look so perect and your photos are gorgeous. Pinned and stumbled. Thanks for linking up to #recipeoftheweek – there’s a new linky up now if you want to pop over :)
*perfect
Thanks so much Emily! Will do! (:
If I could, I’d shamelessly pop by and fill my bag with these lovely biscuits! :D They look so yummy! Thank you so much for linking up with me this week at Tasty Tuesdays! I’ve pinned this & shared it with my followers! Please be sure to stop back by tomorrow & link up your best “man food” recipes in honor of Father’s Day!
I will, thanks Anyonita! :)
Mmmmmmm yummy ;-D
Thanks for joining in with #CookItBlogIt
Thank you! No problem! :)
These look absolutely gorgeous. Perfect for savouring a “proper coffee” experience! Thanks for linking up!
Thanks Emily! :)
Not surprised they passed the taste test with a real Italian! They look absolutely delicious… xx
Thank you FW… Hope you have fun in London!
How have I not found your blog before – this is my lunchtime read sorted. I’m quite excited as I have seen Lake Garda mentioned and it is my most favourite place in the world. Sam x
Thanks Sam, that’s a lovely comment! Garda is gorgeous isn’t it? Looking forward to going back soon enough! :)
Those look amazing! I need some in my life!
Thanks Sarah! :)
Ooo, I love amaretti (and amaretto!) – would never have thought to make my own… I think I may have to try :)
Thank you… They don’t take long either! :)
Your Amaretti look heavenly. Totally decadent too. I have never made my own amaretti, but I feel inspired to try.
Thanks Galina, they are really easy, and very moreish! :)
I LOVE Amaretti biscuits… just so yum. And I love the photographs you have taken too – ever so professional. And of course – many congratulations on making the finals – very, very well deserved. X.
Thank you… I am slowly getting to grips with my newish camera! And thank you for the Congrats as well, that’s really kind of you! :)
I think you included the word ‘macaroon’ in this post just for me. Have been eating and singing about them all week!
Can you make some amaretti biccies for BritMums? Excited about meeting you at last x
Hahaha! The play sounded like it went brilliantly! Would loved to have seen it! Yes, can’t wait to finally meet you after all these years! :D xx
These look lovely. I always thought they would be really hard to make but they don’t look too difficult. Will have to try as I love these.
They are not hard at all, promise! :)
Mmmmm they look delicious. Big, big congratulations for being a Bib Travel finalist – you so deserve to be there. xx
Thanks Mama… You will have lots of time for baking now you have all that extra time on your hands!! ;) xxx
Do you know, I have been meaning to have a go at these for ages. I reckon these would go perfectly with rhubarb and some yoghurt, too…
I did actually mean to save a few for your recipe… Oh well, will just have to make some more! :D
These look really beautiful, I’ve never made amaretti before but your recipe sounds very easy and achievable (everything I like in a recipe) Love the little twists of pretty paper too.. Many congratulations on being a finalist – all the luck to you :)
Thank you so much! :)
I’ve never had amaretti before and now feel like I am thoroughly missing out. Will have to rectify this. Congratulations again on being chosen as a finalist lovely :-)
Thanks so much Sian! :)
Love amaretto and am sending this recipe to my mum, who will love it!
What’s not to like about Amaretto… Thank you Caroline! :)
I adore Ameretti biscuits – will def have to give this recipe a try!
Thanks Rebecca… They are so easy to make too which is always a bonus! :D
Oh clever ol you they look delicious cant wait to start baking again once creature is out
Thanks Helen! Not long now! :)
OH MY! Yum isn’t enough to do those justice. Great news of the Bibs finalisty-ness. This means we’ll get to chat at BMums Live? Yeah!
Thanks Annie, yep! Really looking forward to it… :)
They look heavenly. it’s at times like this that I regret my dislike of coffee (yeah, I’m that weird) and almonds!
Congratulations on your nomination, well deserved :-)
xx Jazzy
Thanks so much Jazzy xx
I LOVE amaretto. That is all!
I might have had to have had a cheeky sip just to test it (of course) whilst making these, it’s sooo good! :D
Yummy! I cannot drink tea or coffee without a sweet treat. I blame summers spent in Italy as a child. Congrats on making the Bibs finals. Very well deserved.
We definitely have a lot in common! :D Thank you so much, tis much appreciated! :)