I've been thinking about making this amaretti cookies recipe for so long. Cookies have always been my favorite kind of dessert.
Amaretti is actually the Italian name for macaroons, also referred to as Italian biscuits. This recipe makes 40 delicious little cookies, 20 of which I might hide!
Before I was married, a box of cookies would last me a couple of weeks. If I haven't shared this before, I married the cookie monster.
Now I actually hide a few cookies now and then so I can have one when I want one. They disappear pretty fast around here. These are so good, you might want to hide a few to pair with that afternoon cup of tea.
Amaretti cookies have just a touch of Amaretto, that luscious Italian almond-flavored liqueur. Italian food is popular in our house, like this mouthwatering braised beef roast I made recently. It's easy and came out so tender.
Ingredients Needed for Amaretti Cookies
Easy recipes are my favorite, and you will only need seven ingredients to make this Amaretti cookies recipe.
To make the dough you'll need blanched almond flour, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, aquafaba (liquid drained from canned chickpeas), salt, lemon zest, and Amaretto liqueur.
To coat the cookies, you'll need a little more powdered sugar. I told you it was easy!
How to Make this Amaretti Cookies Recipe
Combine almond flour, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Sift or whisk to break up any clumps and evenly distribute.
In a large metal or glass bowl, beat the aquafaba with salt using electric beaters or a stand mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
Gently stir in lemon zest.
Fold in almond flour mixture until completely combined.
Stir in Amaretto. The dough will be sticky and soft, but possible to form into a ball.
Cover the dough and chill for at least 30 minutes, longer if it is a warm day.
Preheat oven to 325°F/160 C. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking sheets.
Once the dough is chilled, place powdered sugar for coating the cookies in a small bowl.
Using a teaspoon, scoop a ball of the dough equaling about 2 teaspoons. Roll between your hands until you form a ball.
Roll the dough ball in powdered sugar until completely coated. Place at least 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
Place baking sheet on a rack in the top one-third of the oven as the bottoms of these cookies are prone to overcooking. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown under the sugar.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least five minutes before moving to a rack to completely cool.
Notes:
*If you are baking two sheets at once, keep them in the upper portion of the oven as much as possible.
Switch positions of the baking sheets at about 12 minutes of baking. Baking multiple sheets at once may cause the baking to take longer.
How Long do Amaretti Cookies Keep?
Storing in the Refrigerator
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They would truly never last longer than that in my house!
Storing in the Freezer
You can also freeze these cookies. Wrap in wax paper and insert it into an airtight baggie or plastic container and freeze. Let the cookies thaw at room temperature.
Isn't it nice to have home-baked cookies to thaw at the last minute for a special treat?
What Else Could I Add to these Cookies?
I've seen so many varieties of these cookies, and they all sound so good! Because of the Amaretto, these have an almond flavor, but I think any nut-flavored liqueur would be delicious, like Frangelica.
Why not try a berry-flavored liqueur? Raspberry amaretti cookies sound heavenly.
Amaretti cookies with cherry flavoring would be really good, too. I love cherry anything.
You could also skip the liqueur and use an extract like almond to get a similar flavor as the Amaretto. Or try chocolate extract for a chocolate amaretti cookie.
More Cookie Recipes
These peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are smaller than average cookies, too. They're also a Weight Watchers friendly dessert.
For even more chocolatey goodness, try these double chocolate chip cookies or these oatmeal Milky Way cookies.
For something other than a cookie, try these Samoa Cookie Cupcakes, made after the Girl Scout cookie!
Amaretti Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ C 240 g blanched almond flour
- 6 tbsp 45 g powdered sugar
- ⅔ C 130 g granulated sugar
- ½ C 120 ml aquafaba (liquid drained from about 1 can chickpeas)
- ¼ tsp 1 g salt
- 1 tsp 2 g lemon zest
- 1 tbsp 15 ml amaretto liqueur
- Powdered sugar to coat cookies about 1 cup (115 g
Instructions
- Combine almond flour, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Sift or whisk to break up any clumps and evenly distribute.
- In a large metal or glass bowl beat aquafaba with salt using electric beaters or a stand mixer on medium high speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- Gently stir in lemon zest. Fold in almond flour mixture until completely combined.
- Stir in Amaretto. The dough will be sticky and soft, but possible to form into a ball.
- Cover the dough and chill for at least 30 minutes, longer if it is a warm day.
- Preheat oven to 325°F/160 C. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicon baking sheets.
- Once dough is chilled. Place powdered sugar for coating in a small bowl.
- Using a teaspoon, scoop out an amount of dough equal to about 2 teaspoons. Roll between your hands until a ball forms.
- Douse dough ball in powdered sugar until completely coated. Place at least 2”/5cm apart on prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Place baking sheet on a rack in the up ⅓ of the oven – the bottoms are prone to overcooking. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown under the sugar.*
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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