Ingredients
4 eggs
16 oz sugar
1 small bottle [45 ml] essence of Mandorle Amaro*
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon Magic baking powder
1 kilo almonds, with their skin on, ground fine**
For coating cookie dough
about 1/2 cup icing sugar
Equipment needed
Aluminum baking sheet
Parchment paper
*A bitter almond extract from Italy sold in small bottles in Italian specialty shops; one can substitute bitter almond extract if unavailable
** Raw almonds [NOT roasted] with their skin still on and freshly ground at home in a food processor will result in better-tasting cookies than store-bought ground blanched almonds.
Directions
1. Beat first 6 ingredients.
2. Add the ground almonds using all if possible.
3. Place the mixture in the fridge, and let it rest for an hour.
4. Form small balls with the dough. Coat each ball with icing sugar, then place the dough balls on an aluminum baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper, making sure there is ample space between the dough balls as they will spread.*
5. Flatten the dough balls a little with the palm of your hands.
6. Bake at 350 degree for 12 minutes.
* You can use a small-sized ice-cream scoop to get the desired uniform shape and size.
Notes
The cookies shown in this entry were made by Sue Alfieri, using Pauline Fresco's recipe. Pauline Fresco herself learned how to make the amaretti cookies from her mother, Nunziatina (nee Melfi) Fresco who was probably one of the best home cooks in North America (a true master pastry chef!). Nowadays, Nunziatina's version of the amaretti cookie recipe has been copied over and over and over on the internet and everyone claims it as their own, which is what happens to good recipes..... Obviously, prior to World War II most Southern Italians living in the countryside only made amaretti (and other such cookies) for weddings, baptisms, First Holy Communions and Confirmations. For Sunday visitors "biscotti con mennole" (Almond biscotti, soft style) were made, but every other kind of cookie was reserved for life's big celebrations. Photo: Mary Melfi |
