Best Amaretti Recipes

EASY BAKED PEARS WITH AMARETTI

Steps:

• Cut each pear in half, then place on a large baking tray. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the cores and make a dip in the centre of each pear. If your pears are firm, you may need to use a sharp knife to do this. Dollop about 1 heaped tsp ricotta into each dip, then sprinkle over the cinnamon and drizzle with a little honey.
• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5, then roast the pears for 10 mins. Tip the biscuits into a food bag and use a rolling pin to lightly crush them. Remove the pears from the oven, then scatter the crumbs over each pear. Return to the oven for another 10 mins or until the pears are soft and the biscuit golden brown. Serve drizzled with honey.

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI COOKIES

Steps:

• Adjust oven racks in the upper-third and lower-third positions. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Break the almond paste into small pieces and add it to the bowl of a food processer along with the sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Process until the almond paste is very finely chopped and well incorporated with the salt and sugar. Add the egg whites and vanilla, and process until a smooth dough forms, about 30 seconds. With a small scoop or spoon, dollop the batter onto the baking sheets, 1 tablespoon at a time, spaced 2 inches apart. Top each cookie with a few almond slivers and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
• Bake until the cookies have risen and cracked slightly but are still soft in the center, 13 to 14 minutes; rotate the baking sheets halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets. Store in an airtight container.

AMARETTI COOKIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
• Whisk the almond flour, granulated sugar and salt in a large bowl to combine. Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute 30 seconds. Add the almond extract and beat to combine. Fold the egg whites into the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms.
• Put the confectioners' sugar in a small bowl. Using a 1-tablespoon scoop, portion the dough and roll into balls. Toss each ball in the confectioners' sugar, coating thoroughly. Arrange the balls 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until golden brown and the tops crack, 23 to 25 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

PEACHES STUFFED WITH AMARETTI COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the bottom of an 8-inch baking dish and set aside.
• Using a melon baller, clean out the red flesh from the center of each peach. Arrange the peaches cut side up in the prepared dish. In the bowl of a food processor, add the amaretti cookies and pulse until finely crumbled. Divide the amaretti crumbs between the peaches. Fill the center of each peach with the amaretti cookie crumbs. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of sugar over each. Dot each peach with 1/2 teaspoon of butter.
• Bake until the peaches are tender and the filling is crisp on top, about 30 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray a 9-inch springform pan the nonstick spray. Refrigerate. Microwave the chocolate until melted and smooth, stirring every 20 seconds, for about 1 minute.
• Combine the almonds and cookies in processor. Pulse until the almonds and cookies are finely ground. Transfer the nut mixture to a medium bowl. Add the butter and sugar to the processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Add the grated orange peel and pulse briefly, until incorporated. Add the eggs 1 at a time. Blend until the eggs are incorporated. Clean the sides of the mixing bowl and blend again. Add the nut mixture and melted chocolate. Pulse until blended. Clean the sides of the bowl. Blend again.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the center puffs and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes.
• Transfer the cake to a platter. Sift the cocoa powder over and serve.

GRILLED PEACHES WITH AMARETTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat a grill with a single layer of charcoal. When the coals are hot, brush the grill with a little oil to make sure the peaches don't stick. Place the peaches, cut side down, on the grill and cook for a few minutes, until they're slightly charred.
• Place the peaches in an oven-proof dish, sprinkle each half with a little vanilla sugar. Combine the rum and amaretto and drizzle 1/2 of it on the peaches. Bake the peaches for about 10 minutes, until they're very tender. Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold with crumbled amaretti cookies on top or with the cookies on the side. I like to serve them with a dollop of creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.
• Vanilla Sugar:
• Find a jar tall enough to hold 2 vanilla beans. Fill the bottle with sugar and cover tightly. Store on a pantry shelf. After about 3 months you will have a wonderful ingredient for cooking and baking. Keep adding vanilla beans and sugar to the jar and you will have it for years.

PEACH AND AMARETTI CRISP

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and lay a sheet of aluminum foil on the rack below to catch drippings. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• To make the filling:
• Mix the peach slices with the granulated sugar, flour, and vanilla or almond extract. Transfer the peaches to a shallow 2-quart baking dish.
• To make the topping:
• In a food processor, pulse together the flour, the brown and granulated sugars, amaretti, and cinnamon until the amaretti are in very small bits. Add the almonds and pulse until the nuts are in small pieces.
• Add the pieces of butter and pulse until the butter is finely broken up.Continue to pulse until the topping no longer looks sandy and is just beginning to hold together.
• Distribute the amaretti topping evenly over the peaches and bake the crisp for 40 to 50 minutes, until the edges are bubbling and a knife inserted into the center pierces the fruit easily.
• Serving:
• Serve warm with a cold pitcher of heavy cream or with vanilla ice cream.
• Variation:
• For a berry crisp, toss 6 to 8 cups mixed berries (quartered strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries) with 1/3 cup sugar, 2tablespoons flour, and a squirt of lemon juice. Cover with just enough topping to hide the fruit and freeze the rest.

AMARETTI ITALIAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Mix chopped almonds, 2 cups white sugar, and cocoa powder together in a bowl; add eggs and almond extract and stir until batter is well mixed. Form teaspoonfuls of batter into small balls.
• Place 1/4 cup sugar in a bowl and roll balls in the sugar. Press a finger into the center of each ball, making an indentation. Place 1 almond in each indentation. Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges begin to crisp, about 15 minutes.

PEACH ICE CREAM PIE WITH AMARETTI COOKIE CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 9-inch glass pie dish with nonstick spray. Mix finely ground cookie crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar, and pinch of salt in medium bowl. Add lukewarm melted butter; mix to blend. Press crumbs onto bottom and up sides of dish. Bake until golden around edges, about 10 minutes. Cool completely in dish on rack.
• Preheat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. Coat with nonstick spray. Arrange peaches in even layer on sheet. Broil until beginning to brown, watching closely to avoid burning, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar over peaches. Broil until sugar melts and caramelizes, rotating sheet for even cooking, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer peaches and juices to bowl (leave any burned parts behind). Add 3/4 cup brown sugar, lemon juice, and pinch of salt to peaches; stir until sugar dissolves. Cover; chill until cold, about 2 hours.
• Slightly soften ice cream in microwave on low power in 20-second intervals. Transfer to large bowl. Add broiled-peach mixture. Fold to incorporate peaches (peaches will break apart). Spoon about 2/3 of ice cream into cooled crust; smooth top. Cover and freeze pie and remaining peach ice cream separately until firm, about 4 hours. Using medium-size ice cream scoop, scoop remaining ice cream in bowl in level coops and arrange in concentric circles top pie. Freeze pie. DO AHEAD: Can be made days ahead. Cover and keep frozen.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream and remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar in medium bowl until peaks form. Sprinkle coarsely crushed amaretti cookies over pie. Cut into wedges and serve with dollop of brown sugar whipped cream.

AMARETTI-STUFFED PEACHES

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter and pour into a 13- by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
• Pulse 3/4 cup crumbled amaretti in a food processor until finely chopped, then add flour, sugar, salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Blend until butter is incorporated, then add egg and blend until smooth.
• Scoop out just enough peach pulp from center of each peach half with a melon-ball cutter or a small spoon to create a 1-inch-deep cavity. Arrange peaches, cut sides up, in baking dish, then brush skins with melted butter from dish. Divide amaretti mixture among cavities, then sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup crumbled amaretti over filling. Bake until filling is puffed and crisp, 40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

AMARETTI PEACHES WITH HONEY & CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Halve and stone the peaches, then dig out a little flesh from the centre of each half, using a sharp-edged soup spoon. Put flesh and peaches to one side.
• Tip the amaretti, almonds and chocolate into a food processor and pulse until the mixture is like coarse gravel. Add the spooned-out peach flesh, egg and honey and whizz for just a second or two to combine - don't over-process.
• Spoon the stuffing into the peach halves, mounding it up a little. Arrange the peaches in a single layer in a heavy baking tin, then bake for 25-30 minutes or until the flesh is tender and the stuffing nicely browned. Serve hot, with a dollop of mascarpone or crème fraîche and a dusting of sifted cocoa powder.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE-ALMOND CAKE WITH AMARETTI COOKIE CRUMBS

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven, and preheat to 350. Butter an 8-inch cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper and dust the interior with cocoa powder; tap out the excess.
• To make the cake: Put the almonds, amaretti, sugar, cocoa and salt into a food processor, and process in short spurts, until the almonds and cookies are finely ground. Add the butter and eggs, and process, scraping the bowl occasionally, for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is homogeneous. Add the melted chocolate a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. Scrape the bowl, and then pour the batter into the pan. Standing back (to avoid being showered by cocoa powder), rap the pan against the counter a few times, to break the largest bubbles in the batter.
• Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out streaky; the top of the cake will look dry and perhaps cracked. If the top has erupted in a couple of places - it happens - use a spatula to press down the bumps as best as you can. Let the cake rest on a rack for 15 minutes.
• Run a blunt knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Invert the cake onto the rack, peel off the paper and turn right side up; cool to room temperature.
• When you're ready to glaze the cake, place the rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil - the drip-catcher.
• To make the glaze: Put the chocolate in a heatproof measuring cup with a spout or in a bowl. Bring the cream, sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan (or do this in the microwave). Pour the cream over the chocolate, and stir gently until you have a smooth glaze.
• Pour the glaze over the cake, and use an offset spatula or knife to spread it over the top. Sprinkle over the crushed amaretti. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set the glaze (which will always be soft). Serve the cake slightly chilled or at room temperature (my preference).

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI

Steps:

• Crumble almond paste into a food processor; add sugar and pulse until evenly combined. Add egg whites and process until incorporated. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Sift together confectioners' sugar and cocoa; gradually add to almond mixture and mix well., Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350° until tops are cracked, 17-20 minutes. Cool for 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

ROASTED PEARS WITH AMARETTI AND AMARETTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Mix Amaretto and vinegar in a 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Put pears, cut sides down, in dish.
• Roast pears 15 minutes. Add water and roast until pears are tender but still hold their shape, 8 to 10 minutes more.
• Arrange pears, cut sides up, on a platter and spoon pan juices over them. Sprinkle with half of cookie crumbs, then baste with pan juices. Sprinkle with remaining crumbs and serve warm or at room temperature.

ROASTED PEACHES WITH AMARETTI CRUMBLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 11 x 7 x 2- inch glass baking dish. Combine cookies, almonds, flour, and sugar in processor. Using on/off turns, process until cookies and almonds are coarsely chopped. Add 3 tablespoons chilled butter to processor. Using on/off turns, process topping mixture until moist clumps form.
• Place peach halves, cut side up, in prepared dish. Spread topping over surface of each peach half (about 1 generous tablespoon for each), pressing lightly to adhere and leaving 1/4-inch plain border.
• Bake peaches until tender when pierced with knife and topping is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly. Transfer 1 warm roasted peach half to each of 6 plates. Serve with scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside.
• Available at some supermarkets and at Italian markets.

MAKE-AHEAD ZABAGLIONE WITH AMARETTI

Steps:

• Place the egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine in a large heat-proof glass bowl and whisk them together. Place the bowl on a pan of simmering water to make a double boiler and whisk the mixture almost constantly for 5 to 7 minutes, until it expands in volume and becomes thickened. You'll see the froth disappear and the whisk will leave a little trail in the mixture. Don't walk away from it or you¿ll end up with scrambled eggs! Off the heat, whisk in the vanilla and almond extracts. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool to room temperature, whisking once or twice as it cools.
• Place the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer) and beat it just until it forms firm peaks. With a rubber spatula, carefully fold the cream into the Marsala mixture. Spoon half of the mixture into each of 4 or 5 decorative glasses (depending on the size), sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of crushed Amaretti, and spoon the rest of the mixture on top. Sprinkle with the remaining Amaretti crumbs, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for a few hours or overnight. Serve cold.

AMARETTI STUFFED PEACHES

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter and pour into a 13 x 19 inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Pulse 3/4 cup crumbled amoretti in a food processor until finely chopped, then add flour, sugar, salt, and remaining 2 Tbsp. butter. Blend until butter is incorporated, then add egg and blend until smooth.
• Scoop out just enough peach pulp from center of each peach half with a melon ball cutter or small spoon to create a 1" deep cavity. Arrange peaches, cut sides up, in baking dish, then brush skins with melted butter from dish. Divide amaretti mixture among cavities, then sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup crumbled amoretti over filling. Bake until filling is puffed and crisp, 40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temp.
• Wisk mascarpone with a few tablespoons of milk until it reaches a consistency suitable to dollop on peaches. Spoon on 1 Tbsp. per peach.

AMARETTI CRISPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast in oven until lightly browned and fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool.
• Combine almonds and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, and grind to a fine powder. Transfer to a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into almond mixture; fold in almond extract.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer almond mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe twenty 2-inch rings onto prepared sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and immediately transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

ALBICOCCHE AL FORNO (BAKED APRICOTS WITH AMARETTI)

Steps:

• Please note: I will have to check the amount of filling and the amount of apricots again, which I will do soon. If you decide to make it, please have some extra apricots ready.
• Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F).
• Put amaretti cookies into a small bowl and pour the amaretto over it.
• Wash apricots and cut them in halves. Discard the stone.
• Using a spoon, take out some of the fruit flesh without hurting the skin. Roughly chop the fruit flesh.
• Add sugar, egg yolk and chopped apricot flesh to the amaretti cookies and mix. While mixing, crush the cookies with a spoon. Do not mix for too long; it's nice to have some cookie chunks.
• Fill the apricots with the mixture, ca 1 tablespoon per half.
• Put into a well buttered oven-proof baking dish.
• Pour white wine over apricots.
• Bake for ca 25 minutes or until done.

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and put on a full kettle. Have a large roasting tin ready. Butter 10 squares of foil, each about 15 x 15cm. Butter 10 x 200ml mini pudding tins, dust with flour, then tap out the excess. Cut 10 small circles of baking paper to fit the bottoms and drop one into each tin.
• Melt the butter and chocolate together in a pan, heating gently and stirring every so often. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, put the eggs and sugar into a large bowl and whisk with electric beaters for 10 mins, or until the mix is thick and foamy and holds a trail for a few seconds.
• Mix the ground almonds, flour and baking powder together. Splash 1 tbsp amaretto over the biscuits. Fold the cooled chocolate mix into the whisked egg and sugar using a large metal spoon. Follow with the flour mix, then work in the amaretto.
• Fill the tins one-third full, then drop in an amaretti biscuit and top up with mix, leaving a 1cm gap between the top of the mix and the edge of the tins. Loosely scrunch a foil square over the top of each tin. Put the tins in the roasting pan and pour hot water around - it should come about halfway up the sides of the puddings. Bake for 30 mins, then insert a skewer into one; a few damp crumbs should stick to the skewer - you don't want the puds to be totally dry.
• Meanwhile, make the fudgy sauce. Melt all of the ingredients together in a heavy-based pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days,then reheat on the hob or in the microwave on High for 1 min. To serve the puddings, turn onto plates and spoon over some of the sauce, allowing it to ooze over the edges. Sprinkle with shards of Salted almond brittle and serve straight away.