Easy Soft Almond Cookies Amaretti Morbidi Recipes

AMARETTI - ITALIAN CHEWY ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• If you're using whole peeled almonds, toast them in the oven until lightly brown. This will give a darker color and more bright flavor to amaretti.
• Once almonds reach desired color, cool them completely.
• Pulse almonds and bitter apricot kernels (if you opt to use those as in traditional Italian recipe) with sugar in a food processor as finely as you can.
• NOTE: if you are using almond flour, use confectioners sugar instead of regular sugar. This way you don't need to use a food processor. Simply mix everything in the bowl.
• Add almond extract.
• Beat egg white with a pinch of salt until completely white and fluffy.
• Start to fold egg white into sugar and almond mix. Add a couple of table spoons at a time. You should reach silky and stiff consistency of the cookie dough. NOTE: You may not need to use all egg whites, just enough to get the dough together.
• Sprinkle work surface with some powdered/confectioners sugar.
• Pinch off some dough and roll it into ⅔ of an inch rope.Using a dough scraper cut the rope into ⅔ of an inch pieces.
• Roll each "pillow" giving it a ball shape (size of a walnut) and roll it in generous amount of confectioners sugar.
• Place each cookie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.Decorate with an almond nut (optional).
• Bake in preheated to 350F oven for 12-15 minutes, just until inside the crinkles amaretti become lightly brown.

SOFT AMARETTI COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325° F. Position rack in the center.
• Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk almond flour and sugar together.
• Add grated lemon zest and whisk a few more times. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites to a soft peak stage.
• Whisk in the bitter almond extract.
• Gently incorporate the egg whites to the dry ingredients. Once the dough is completely moist, you are done.
• Use the smallest ice cream scooper to portion the dough (about 1 tablespoon).
• With slightly damp hands, press your palms into the plate of sugar.
• Roll each ball of dough with your sugar coated palms and then again in the sugar found on the plate.
• Place on the paper lined baking sheet.
• Bake for about 25 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown in color.
• Cool before storing at room temperature in airtight containers. Will keep for 3-4 days.

EASY, SOFT ALMOND COOKIES (AMARETTI MORBIDI)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, granulated sugar and all-purpose flour.
• In a smaller bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until the whites are foamy and fall into soft mounds (not quite soft peaks). Whisk in the almond extract. Add the egg whites to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until it all comes together, kneading lightly with your hands if necessary, until it forms a very sticky dough.
• Lightly dust your hands with confectioners' sugar to prevent any dough from sticking to your hands and pour some extra confectioners' sugar into a large soup bowl or rimmed plate. Scoop out pieces of dough with a small cookie scoop or spoon then form the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the confectioners' sugar, then arrange them on parchment paper-lined sheets, leaving 1-inch of space between the cookies.
• Preheat the oven to 300°F. While the oven heats up, let the cookies sit out and dry a little.
• When the oven is ready, bake the cookies for 20 to 22 minutes or until the tops are cracked and the bottoms are just barely golden. Do not over bake-the cookies should still look slightly "underdone" when ready. Let them cool for 2 to 3 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.

CLASSIC ITALIAN AMARETTI COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In stand mixer beat together eggs and sugar until blended. Add in oil, lemon (zest of full lemon as well as juice) and extract, mix well.
• In small bowl sift together your cocoa and baking powder, add to wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
• Dough will be very wet, you want to add your flour in 1c at a time and mix. Your dough should come together after the 4th cup, then you add by 1/4c increments until the dough is "workable" (you need to be able to roll with your hands into little balls). You will need approx 5c of flour, but may need slightly more or less depending on your wet measures.
• Pour 1c sugar into small bowl. Roll dough into balls (aprox 1/2") and roll into sugar.
• Place cookies on silicone mat or parchment paper and gently press an almond into the tops...the cookie will push down into a disc shape.
• Bake for 11-13 minutes (you want them slightly golden around the edge, this ensures you have a nice crunchy outside and soft inside!).