Amarettus (Sardinia)

Sardinian Amaretti

Bakeries in Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, all sell these classic almond cookies, each garnished with a single almond in the center.

I questioned whether I should include yet another recipe for amaretti—they are sprinkled throughout this book, and the ingredients for most of them are more or less identical. And yet, the results are all quite distinct, thanks to differences in the handling of those ingredients. In fact, it was eye-opening, as I researched this book, to see how many different and unique iterations the same set of ingredients could create.

In the end, I am glad I included these. They are easy to make and they have a particular appeal, puffing up beautifully in the oven and forming small telltale cracks on their sugared surfaces. They are crunchy on the outside and tender and chewy within. Use the freshest almonds you can find to give these cookies their due. Sardinians use a special nut grinder to achieve the correct texture, but a food processor works well. Note that the dough benefits from an overnight rest in the refrigerator, so start them a day before you plan to serve them.

MAKES 48 COOKIES

Italian Cookies: Authentic Recipes and Sweet Stories from Every Region Domenica Marchetti

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups (600 g) blanched almonds

• 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup (100 g) for rolling

• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract, optional

• 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 large lemons), plus 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed juice

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

• 4 large (120 g) egg whites, at room temperature

• 48 whole almonds, skin-on or blanched

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the nuts in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Add the 2 cups (400 g) sugar and almond extract (if using), and pulse until the nuts are finely ground and the sugar is well incorporated. Pulsing rather than processing will prevent the machine from heating up too much and releasing the oils in the nuts. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and sprinkle in the lemon zest and salt, working the zest in with your fingertips.

2. Pour the egg whites into the stainless-steel bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium until the whites are frothy. Add the lemon juice and whisk on high until the whites are whipped to stiff peaks. Fold 2/3 of the whites into the nut mixture until no whites are visible. If the mixture is dry, add more whites until you have a dense, malleable dough that can be rolled into balls that hold their shape. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough overnight.

3. Preheat the oven to 325° F (165° C). Line two baking sheets with parchment (you will reuse both sheets to bake all the cookies).

4. Set the remaining 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar nearby in a bowl. Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop out generous walnut-size pieces of dough and roll them into a ball. If weighing, each ball should weigh less than 1 ounce (20 to 25 g). The dough will be sticky. If necessary, very lightly moisten your hands to prevent the dough from sticking to them. Roll the balls in the bowl of sugar and place them on the baking sheets, 16 per sheet. Press a single almond into the center of each cookie—you can poke it in vertically or press it in horizontally. The former creates more distinct cracks on the cookies’ surface.

5. Bake, one sheet at a time, in the center of the oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until the cookies are barely set, lightly browned on the bottom, and pale gold and cracked on the surface. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks to cool for 10 minutes; then transfer the cookies from the baking sheets to the racks to cool completely. Store the amaretti in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Recipes excerpted from Italian Cookies: Authentic Recipes and Sweet Stories from Every Region by Domenica Marchetti. Photos by Lauren Volo. Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith Books.

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