Certain things are simply synonymous with celebrations; invitations, flowers, music and of course food. Every celebratory event will usually have a sweet finish which, in many a case for me, includes classic Italian cookies such as boccanotti, anginetti and amaretti. These chewy almond crinkles make their appearance at every bridal shower, baptism, communion, confirmation, milestone birthday, wedding and anniversary; they are always present no matter the occasion.
The almond cookies get their name from the Italian word amaro meaning “bitter” as they are made with bitter almonds. The addition of the diminutive “etti” translates their name to “bitter little things” but these biscuits are anything but. With their crisp exterior and sweet chewy interior, they are the perfect pairing for coffee, tea, sorbet and ice-cream. The dome-shaped sweets made from either ground almonds or almond paste, sugar and eggs whites are considered the predecessor to the French macaron. Amaretti originate back to Venice during the Renaissance period and it is believed that this recipe was brought to France by Caterina di Medici and her pastry chefs (the name macaron in fact comes from the Italian maccherone which translates to “fine dough”).
The most notable amaretti are the ones that hail from Saronno (a city in the Italian province of Lombardia). Legend has it that in the early 18th century, a Milanese cardinal paid a surprise visit to a local church in town. A young couple who owned a bake shop in Saronno decided to commemorate the occasion by baking biscuits but they had limited ingredients on hand – ground apricot kernels, sugar and egg whites. The cookies were baked and wrapped in delicate, beautifully printed paper and gifted to the cardinal who was so pleased with them, that he blessed the two with a happy and lifelong marriage, and turned the recipe into a town favourite.
The recipe has been preserved and carried forward for generations by the Lazzaroni family who have kept the amaretti archives along with their ornate tins dating back to the 1870s, in the cloisters of a 14th century Franciscan church. Aside from the tins that encapsulate their beautiful biscotti is the ingenious wrapping for which they are renowned. Thin, colored papers (each color denoting the type of cookie, hard, soft etc.) are twisted around each amaretti; paper so light that if set on fire, will float upwards towards the heavens while burning. If this sounds like film wizardry, you’re not far off, the wrapper was set ablaze by Harry Potter in the film “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. It is also believed that if one makes a wish while setting the wrapper ablaze and it rises to the ceiling, the wish will come true.
Several variations of amaretti exist across the peninsula, ranging in texture from soft and mildly chewy, to light and crunchy. While the Lazzaroni amaretti are still made with the traditional ingredients of apricot kernels, sugar and egg whites, other varieties incorporate sweet and bitter almonds and some even contain flour. The sweet socialites that adorn my cookie platters are made using ground toasted almonds (recipe follows).
Amaretti also have several different uses in both sweet and savoury preparations. They can be sandwiched together with ganache, buttercream or jam (I like to make amaretti mascarpone cookie sandwiches); they can be crumbled to add texture and flavor to trifles, custard desserts and zabaglione; they are crushed and used in the famed Piemontese chocolate pudding known as Bônet and as the filling for Pesche Ripiene. Savoury dishes include Tortelli di Zucca (ravioli stuffed with pumpkin and amaretti), Gnocchi di Zucca e Amaretti (pumpkin and amaretti gnocchi) and Fritto Misto alla Piemontese (mixed fry of entrails and amaretti softened in milk).
If you’ve never had amaretti I suggest picking some up at an Italian bakery, or fill your home with the sweet smell of almonds and bake up a batch. Buon Appetito!
Toasted Almond Amaretti
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- ½ of a 43ml bottle of almond extract
- 4 cups of toasted ground almonds
- 2 cups of sugar + additional for dredging
- 12 tbls. all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
Method:
In a large bowl combine almonds, sugar, flour and baking powder and make a well in the centre for the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, slightly beat the add with the almond extract then add to the dry ingredients. Mix until you get a sticky dough.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator overnight. Take the dough out right before using as cold dough yields the best results.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Fill a small bowl with sugar.
Using a cookie scoop or spoon take small amounts of the dough from the bowl and form little balls which then get rolled into the sugar and placed onto the cookie sheet approximately ½ inch apart.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until the amaretti slightly crackled and browned on the edges.
Allow to cool and enjoy.
