Amaretti Cookies意大利杏仁饼

When the Amaretti cookies are fresh out of the oven, they’re are soft and airy, with a slight bite to them. As they sit and dry, they become crunchier and chewier, like the store-bought ones. You shouldn’t expect them to melt in your mouth like their French cousins, the Macarons. Instead, they have a slight crust on the outside and a dense, chewy center. These simple and easily-made cookies are like the happy medium between macarons and biscotti. They are the most perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee or tea. You might wanna double the batch, because they usually go very quickly!

Make  15 cookies

• 2 eggs whites (about 60g)   from medium-size eggs蛋白
• 120g                                        ground almonds (note: you may want to use the grainy kind NOT the too fine kind. Otherwise, it may cause the amaretti to go flat)杏仁粉
• 2 tablespoons                        plain flour (or 1 tablespoon plain flour +1 tablespoon corn flour)中筋面粉
• 40g                                          caster sugar白糖
• 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional) 新鲜橙皮末

For rolling:

• 2 tablespoons                         caster sugar白糖
• 1 tablespoon                           icing/powdered sugar糖粉

 Method

1. Line 1 baking tray with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 170 ℃. Sift （过筛）the dry ingredients (ground almonds and plan flour). Separate egg white from egg yolk. 
2. Using a electronic whisk, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. This takes about 10 minutes. Gradually add the 40g caster sugar. Fold in the sifted ground almonds and orange zest to make a dough. The dough will be very sticky though.
3. Now let’s roll the cookies. Place the caster sugar on a plate. Using a teaspoon, scoop out a chunk of the cookie mixture and roll it into a ball in your hands (about the size of a small walnut). Roll it in the caster sugar then place on the baking tray.  Repeat with the remaining dough until you’ve used it all up. Leave a bit of space between the cookie balls as they will expand slightly during baking. Use your finger to press the cookie balls down just a tiny bit, then sprinkle the icing sugar.
4. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Take out of the oven, leave to cool for 5 minutes then remove from the baking tray. You can serve them warm, or allow them to cool completely on a cooling rack.

 Tips

1. These cookies can be stored in a sealed jar at room temperature. They should be eaten in 3-4 days.