Authentic Chocolate Amaretti Cookies

Amaretti cookies can be served with coffee, zabaglione or sweet wine. Crumbled commercial amaretti cookies are sometimes used as a base for trifles. Homemade amaretti should not be used in these recipes, as they do not produce the same type crumb.  These are a chewy almond flavored cookie. The homemade cookies are crisp on the outside, but chewy on the inside. The ground almonds give the cookies their distinct fragrance and taste and the meringues gives the cookies light texture. According to the legend, amaretti became a favorite after a Bishop blessed the couple who invented these.
These are great on a wedding tray as well, I have also made a delicious chewy Almond Paste Cookies as well, which are also outstanding in flavor.
Try this one you won't be dissappointed, its fairly easy. You can also fill them in between with frosting, jams or pastry cream. As I mentioned before, several trifles are made with these crushed, however this cookie isn't quite as crumbly as store bought. Actually I have to say this is the most authentic cookie recipe I still have from my grandmother beside her soft Italian cookies with frosting.

Not a dense chocolate flavor if you are expecting a strong presence of chocolate flavor, however to get more chocolate taste in this cookie,  sprinkle them with chocolate small shavings on top,  just before baking.

 Authentic  Chocolate Amaretti Cookies:

1 cup whole almonds

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

2 egg whites (I actually used the egg whites in the small carton they worked great!)

1 teaspoon Amaretto plus 1 teaspoon almond extract

1 pinch cream of tartar

powdered sugar to sprinkle on top

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 Place the almonds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.. They should be golden brown. Place in the food processor  with 1/4 cup of sugar and pulse till fine. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Pour them into a bowl and stir in the cocoa powder and confectioner's sugar. Set aside. In a mixing bowl beat the 2 egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup of  sugar beating well. Continue mixing until the whites are glossy and stiff. Beat in flavorings. Add the almond nut sugar mixture by gently folding into the beaten egg whites just until  blended.

 Spoon the mixture into a large pastry piping bag fitted with a plain 1/2 inch nozzle. Pipe 1 1/2 inch rounds about one inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake cookies for 12 to 15 minutes or until they are crisp. Cool  then completely lift off the parchment paper. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
+claudia lamascolo  Author