Soft amaretti made with ground almonds, egg whites and powdered sugar, piped then baked until golden.
Golden on top and tender in the center, these amaretti have an almond aroma that immediately calls for a cup of coffee. These soft, flourless amaretti are made with ground almonds, egg whites, a little powdered sugar and almond extract. Allow 25 minutes for 6 cookies, followed by at least half an hour of resting time. With its low-carb option, this recipe joins my collection of keto desserts.
What Are Soft Amaretti ?
Soft amaretti, or amaretti morbidi, are Italian almond cookies with tender centers and a light crust. The dough takes just five ingredients : 100 g ground almonds, 2 egg whites, 25 g powdered sugar, almond extract and a pinch of salt.
The egg whites bind the dough, while the fat in the almonds keeps it soft. Made without wheat flour, these cookies are naturally gluten-free, and the small amount of sugar makes them less sweet than bakery amaretti.
The Origins of Amaretti
The name comes from the Italian word amaro, meaning bitter, a reference to the bitter almonds used to flavor older recipes. Italy has two main types : dry, crunchy amaretti and amaretti morbidi, which are tender and slightly sticky inside.
This version belongs to the second group. The dough is piped rather than rolled in sugar, resulting in evenly shaped cookies with a moderate sweetness.
The Main Ingredients
The 100 g of ground almonds form the entire base : finely ground almonds with their natural fat intact give the softest texture. Beat the 2 egg whites just enough to loosen them, without whipping them into peaks as you would for coconut macaroons.
The 25 g of powdered sugar blend in without leaving any grains and help form a thin crust. A teaspoon of almond extract gives the cookies a distinct almond flavor ; double it if you prefer a stronger almond taste. A pinch of salt, either Himalayan pink salt or sea salt, balances the sweetness.
For a sugar-free version, replace the powdered sugar with the same amount of powdered erythritol ; these amaretti then contain 110 kcal each. They have a slightly cooler sensation on the tongue, and the texture changes a little after cooling.
Technique and Serving Tips
Remove the baking sheet from the oven, line it with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 200 ยฐC. Mix the loosened egg whites with the ground almonds, extract, powdered sugar and salt : the dough is a little too soft to shape by hand or with spoons, so use a piping bag with a wide opening, about 1 cm. Pipe 6 equal mounds and flatten the small tip that forms with your fingertips.
Bake for just under 15 minutes, depending on your oven : the tops should turn just lightly golden, while the bottoms darken more quickly and should not brown too much. Let cool for at least 30 minutes so the cookies can firm up. They are even better a few hours later, or the next day, with coffee or tea.
Find more dishes like this in my low-carb recipes.
Ingredients
- 100 g almond flour
- 2 egg whites
- 25 g powdered sugar (or powdered erythritol for a sugar-free version)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract double the amount if you love this flavor
- 1 pinch salt pink Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
Instructions
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and line it with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Do not use the yolks. Briefly beat the whites to loosen them. There is no need to beat them to stiff peaks as you would for coconut macaroons. Mix with the almond flour, almond extract, powdered sugar (or erythritol) and a little salt.100 g almond flour, 2 egg whites, 25 g powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon almond extract, 1 pinch salt
- The mixture will be slightly too soft to place on the baking sheet by hand or with spoons. A piping bag with a large opening (1 cm) works best. Pipe 6 small, equal mounds onto the parchment paper. Adjust their shape slightly with your fingers if needed (for example, flatten a small peak).
- Bake the cookies for just under 15 minutes. The timing may vary slightly from oven to oven. Watch for the tops to turn lightly golden. The bottoms will be a little darker at this point. Do not leave them in the oven too long, or the bottoms will get too dark.
- Let the cookies cool for at least half an hour. Personally, I think they taste better a few hours later or even the next day.
