Description
Homemade chocolate amaretti cookies blend Italian almond tradition with rich cocoa elegance. Crisp exterior and chewy center promise delightful moments that connect culinary heritage with pure sweet pleasure.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (180 g) almond flour or very finely ground almonds, sifted
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg whites (about 60 g)
- 3 tbsps (15 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ¼ tsp lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt
- confectioners’ sugar, as needed
Instructions
- Prepare Workspace: Line two lightweight cookie sheets with parchment paper, ensuring even heat distribution and preventing excessive browning.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Combine almond flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt, whisking until completely smooth and lump-free.
- Whip Egg Whites: Beat egg whites with lemon juice until soft, voluminous peaks form, creating a stable meringue-like base for the dough.
- Blend Dough: Fold whipped egg whites and almond extract into dry ingredients, creating a slightly tacky, cohesive mixture that holds its shape.
- Shape Cookies: Dust hands with powdered sugar, use a cookie scoop to portion uniform dough balls, then roll into smooth spheres and generously coat with additional powdered sugar to achieve a crackled finish.
- Bake Precisely: Arrange cookies on prepared sheets with adequate spacing, then bake in a preheated oven at 325°F for 30-35 minutes, watching for characteristic surface cracking and subtle golden edges as doneness indicators.
- Cool and Set: Remove from oven and let cookies rest briefly before transferring to wire cooling racks, allowing them to develop their signature delicate, crisp texture.
Notes
- Strategic Workspace Setup: Stack lightweight cookie sheets with parchment paper to guarantee uniform heat distribution and prevent unwanted cookie bottom burning.
- Precise Ingredient Blending: Whisk dry ingredients thoroughly to eliminate lumps, ensuring a smooth, consistent texture that impacts final cookie quality.
- Egg White Technique: Whip egg whites with lemon juice until soft peaks form, creating a structural foundation that determines cookie lightness and stability.
- Sugar Coating Mastery: Generously dust hands and cookie balls with powdered sugar to achieve the signature crackled exterior and prevent sticky dough handling.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 139
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 23 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg