Delicious soft centred Amaretti biscuits. So easy to make, crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle and they’re naturally gluten-free too.
With Valentines Day coming up I thought I would try to make something vaguely romantic. Both Charlotte and I absolutely love Amaretti biscuits (also sometimes referred to as Italian macaroons), and with them being Italian surely that means they automatically qualify to be romantic! They come with the added bonus of being extremely easy and quick to make.
I have had two versions of Amaretti biscuits, those which are hard all the way through and those which are crisp on the outside yet deliciously soft and chewy in the middle. These are the latter, which makes the inside taste like gorgeous marzipan and the softness saves you from the worry of a sizeable dental bill that you get from the crunchy ones!
Initially when I made these biscuits I used a 50:50 split between caster sugar and ground almond. I then experimented with this ratio (keeping the overall weight the same) and preferred them with slightly more almond than sugar. However if you prefer them a little sweeter then just adjust the ratio accordingly.
If you want to make a bigger or smaller batch, you can do this by simply multiplying up or down the ingredients. For example if you want to make 32 biscuits, simply double the ingredients, if you want just 8 biscuits then simply half them.
If you enjoy these amaretti biscuits then take a look at Charlotte’s version, which are stuffed with dark chocolate. I’d also heartily recommend Charlotte’s Maltese figolli biscuits which use a very similar recipe to create the almond paste which is then encased either side by two biscuits flavoured with lemon zest and orange blossom.
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Amaretti Biscuits
INGREDIENTS
- 2 large egg whites
- 190 g ground almond
- 150 g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp Amaretto liqueur
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp icing sugar - for rolling the biscuits in prior to baking
- 3 tbsp caster sugar - for rolling the biscuits in prior to baking
RECIPE VIDEO
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 170ºC/150ºC fan.
- Line your baking sheet with baking parchment or bake-o-glide sheet.
- Put your egg whites (2 large egg whites) into a large bowl and beat on a medium speed until they form a firm peak.
- Put the ground almonds (190g), caster sugar (150g) and vanilla extract (¼ tsp) into a large bowl. Gently fold in the beaten egg white and then add in the Amaretto liquor (15ml) and keep stirring until you have a smooth paste.
- Put the icing sugar (3 tbsp) and caster sugar (3 tbsp) onto separate plates.
- Next break the mixture into 16 little balls (around 2-3cm in diameter) and roll each ball first in the caster sugar and then in the icing sugar before placing them on the baking tray. Allow about 3cm between each ball as they will spread a little in the oven.
- Place in the oven and cook for 15-17 minutes until they look like the ones in these pictures.
- Take them out of the oven, leave to cool for a couple of minutes on the tray and then place onto a cooling rack.
NOTES
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a comment and rating at the bottom of the page to let others know what you thought.NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
Free From/Suitable For…
The ingredients I used to make this recipe are all free from the following allergens. However, please check any labels carefully for allergens you need to avoid as brands can vary and product recipes can change over time.
- Suitable for Vegetarians
- Gluten-Free
- Dairy-Free
- Peanut-Free (contains almonds)
- Sesame-Free
- Soya-Free
- Lupin-Free
Jay says
Lovely texture, however, they are too sweet for my liking and the flavor of almond doesn’t come through enough in the way that it has when I’ve made these before using almond essence rather than amaretto.
Mariana says
These biscuits are so addictive, I had to get the recipe from my friend because I couldn’t wait for the next party for her to bring them again! Well done!
I did run into a little issue though, my mixture was quite wet and did not resemble the example, I noticed someone else had the same issue and I read through your wonderful egg measurement research, it would be so helpful if the recipe also listed the grams of egg whites because I’m not in the UK, just confirming I’ll be using 76g next time? Also I’m wondering about the ground almonds, it looks like in your video you’re using what’s called in Australia ‘almond meal’ (no skin on the almonds) where as ‘ground almond’ (as listed) here is with skin on and is slightly darker (you can see the specks of skin), I’m only wondering if this could also be a factor as to why mine turned out much wetter (I used almond meal because it looks like yours). Thank you!
Charlotte Oates says
Yes you were correct to use almond meal. It might be that the meal in Australia is a little less dry than in the UK. There could also be other small differences like a small difference in grind of caster sugar. It sounds like you have a good gut instincts so add more egg/almond as you feel like you need to get the correct texture – I think you’ll make perfect ones next time.
Laura Grosseau says
Amazing recipe, can add orange zest or lemon zest too ❤️❤️
Jessica Harrison says
So good! However, last batch I didn’t give them enough time in the oven. Could they be rebaked? Thank you
Charlotte Oates says
You might find that they end up more crunchy overall but if yo prefer over to under baked, it might be worth a try.
Monica Forte Ellis says
Just perfect every time and light as a feather – the only recipe I use.
Tara says
These would make lovely Christmas gifts! How long do they last once made?
Charlotte Oates says
The biscuits will keep really well in an airtight container for around two weeks.
Ruth Whetsel says
Your recipe worked perfectly. And that’s a rare comment from someone who’s very far from being an accomplished cook. Thank you!
I’ll make them again following your recipe exactly to offer to others. For us alone, I’ll make them less sweet and I may try pushing a pistachio or whatever (!) into each one….
Very many thanks again.
Holly Pekarovicova says
I made these, I had to use home ground almonds as that’s all I had, they looked a little flatter than yours but so delicious! Thank you
Eleanor Shutie says
Brilliant recipe… thank YOU! Loads of compliments.. Will definitely use this recipe again.
Kristine says
Hi can these be frozen?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes they can. Just store in an airtight container or bag and they’re ready to eat again once thawed.
Jill says
Could you please put a link to the crunchy version you mention you have? I love crunch but I can’t find that recipe on your website.
Charlotte Oates says
Unfortunately I don’t actually have a recipe for a crunchy version!
Cindy says
What a hit these were! This time using the recipe and experiment with almond meal with skin and reducing the sugar of course more alcohol!
Suzanne McLean says
Easy and delicious recipe!! It was still a bit too sweet for me so will experiment with reducing sugar even further!
Julie says
I was tempted to buy these biscuits but I’m so glad I didn’t! They were easy to make and tasted delicious. Thank you
Cath says
Perfect, so easy to make and sooo moorish
Helen says
Sensational – loved them. Thank you for the recipe. Will be making them again.
Indi says
Delicious
Julian says
Absolutely delicious but I found that 150° fan isn’t hot enough; I’ve been doing them at 175° fan for just under 20 minutes and they come out perfect. They are extremely moreish little biscuits!
Charlotte Oates says
All ovens perform slightly differently so I am pleased that you have found the sweet spot for your oven.