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
Irina says
These should come with a warning. “May cause serious drooling and your husband who hates almonds may eat half of them while they are still hot.”. Absolutely love them and they are delicious when they are warm. Just saying.
Jill says
This is now my go to recipe. Perfect every time. I skipped the vanilla and added a touch more Amaretti instead because I like it really almondy. Only took 15 mins to make and 17 mins in the oven. So easy.
Julia says
Absolutely fantastic and very moreish. Trouble is that everyone wants them now and I am making my third batch…
a great way to use our surplus egg whites during lockdown
Shantel Gabriele says
I watched the video and then I tried this recipe. My biscuits came out perfect. This was my first time making them. I may have added an extra table spoon of amaretto liqueur tho hehe.
Nancy says
This biscuits are awesome. A bit of a faff but worth the effort!!
Sue says
These are the absolute best ! Thank you for the recipe !
Lorna bauman wyss says
Delishious!
Judy says
i have only ever bought these but as lock down has given me more time to cook (and luxury items are limited) I have started making my own biscuits. These are amazingly delicious. My only issue is that all 16 had disappeared by the time I had got back home from walking the dogs. Will be making some more very soon.
Cynthia says
Made these today they are so good,definitely going to try the others
Thank you for the storage reply
Cynthia says
Hi,
How long do these keep for after making them please, and what is the best way to store them?
They look lovely but couldn’t eat them all at once. Thank you
Charlotte Oates says
They’ll keep for a couple of weeks in an airtight container.
Sue Levy says
Delicious! My dough was a little wetter than intended I think because they didn’t hold a ball shape but lovely and crisp on the outside and squishy inside. The main problem is how to resist eating them all in a day 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
Catherine says
These are perfect!
Margaret Yale says
Great recipe, made time after time and they are consistently good, my husband can’t get enough of them and I even made batches last Christmas to give away to friends, who were delighted too.
Carol says
Delicious! I’ve made these several times and everyone loves the soft centre.
Margaret Yale says
Great recipe. Made these for Christmas and they were a great hit with all my family and friends, my husband keeps asking when I am going to make some more!
Maria Head says
These were delicious, thank you for posting. I made one change, I added a blanched almond on top of the biscuit and flattened it slightly.
jacqui says
one of my favourite biscuits
Ruth says
Loved the recipe. Tasted great. Just how I like them
Carolyn says
Delicious! They were an absolute hit! Thanks Charlotte!
Vic says
Sorry – forgot to rate