Half the Sugar Baker
The snickerdoodle amaretti cookies combine two holiday favorites into one! The cinnamon adds a festive warm flavor that pairs amazingly with the crisp outside and chewy interior of amaretti cookies. These are made with just a couple of ingredients and there’s no chilling time! The almond flour adds a delicious nutty and sweet flavor too.
A Brief History of Amaretti Cookies:
It is said that amaretti cookies originated in Saronno, Italy around 1719 and were invented especially for a visiting cardinal. One story says that these cookies were originally made with apricot kernels but nowadays, most people use almond flour. These cookies have a beautiful crisp shell with a super chewy interior, almost like a macaron. This actually makes sense since both amaretti cookies and macarons are made with egg whites and almond flour! Traditionally, these cookies are flavored with almond extract, but my recipe calls for vanilla to go with the snickerdoodle flavor.
How to enjoy amaretti cookies:
Traditionally, amaretti cookies are served with a sweet wine, but you can enjoy these however you like! I especially like to eat these with a mug of coffee or even a glass of milk! Of course, these cookies are amazing simply on their own!
Fun fact about amaretti cookies:
The name amaretti comes from the italian word “amaro” which means bitter. The name literally translates to something like “little bitter ones.” Don’t worry though because these snickerdoodle amaretti cookies are definitely not bitter!
Tips and notes:
Ingredients:
This recipe calls for almond flour, which is essential to the flavor and texture of the cookies! Make sure you use almond flour and not almond meal, which is coarser.
This recipe also requires egg whites which will be beat to medium stiff peaks. Since you have to beat the egg whites, it’s really important that you don’t leave any yolk with the whites because the fat will interfere with the whipping process.
This recipe also calls for powdered sugar to dust on top of the cookies before baking. I like to do this step because it creates a beautiful cracked look on top of the cookies, but also feel free to skip this step!
Technique:
To make these cookies, you will first sift the almond flour and the sugar. This creates the perfect texture and also helps when you are mixing the dry ingredients with the whipped egg whites. If you don’t have a sifter, this step is not necessary and you can simply whisk the almond flour and sugar together in a bowl.
Whipping the egg whites: for this recipe, you will need to whip the egg whites to medium stiff peaks. In order for this to work, it is essential that you don’t have any fat in you bowl, beater, or egg whites. For the best results, use a very clean bowl and make sure that your whisk or beaters don’t have any fat residue on them. For example, do not use the same whisk that you used for the almond flour because the oil from the almonds could be on you whisk. I like to use an electric hand mixer to whip my egg whites, but you can use a whisk and do it by hand if you prefer. You will know that you have reached medium stiff peaks when you can lift up your beater and the egg whites hold their shape with a slight droop at the point.
The next step after whipping the egg whites is to mix in the almond flour mixture. You want to do this in parts so you don’t deflate the egg whites all at once. First, add one third of your almond mixture and gently fold it into the egg whites using a spatula. You do not want to stir the mixture. Then you will add the vanilla extract and the rest of the almond flour mixture.
After you make the dough, it will be a thick, paste-like texture. You will scoop out approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons and roll it into a ball. This dough is quite wet so it may help to have wet hands to prevent sticking. Then you will roll each ball in a cinnamon-sugar mixture, just like a snickerdoodle. After that, you can optionally dust with powdered sugar. The last step before baking is to barely flatten each cookie with the bottom of a glass. You only need to flatten these cookies slightly since they are meant to be thick, be careful not to flatten them too much.
Baking: baking these cookies is a balance between getting a nice crisp crust while maintaining that amazing chewy interior. If you don’t bake for long enough, the surface won’t get crispy, but if you bake for too long, the inside won’t be chewy anymore. I find that it’s best to remove these cookies from the oven once the surface gets slightly hard so that you can gently tap on it, but the cookie is still flexible enough to bend easily without snapping. Remember that the cookies will continue to bake after you remove them from the oven and the crust will harden as they cool!
If you liked these snickerdoodle amaretti cookies, you might also like…
- Double chocolate crinkle cookies
- Healthier ginger molasses cookies
- The best shortbread cookies
- Healthier chewy peanut butter cookies
Snickerdoodle Amaretti Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups almond flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 egg whites
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For cinnamon-sugar mixture:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- powdered sugar for dusting on top optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Sift the almond flour and 3/4 cup granulated sugar into a large bowl. Then add the salt and whisk briefly to combine. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg whites by hand or with an electric mixer until it reaches medium stiff peaks. When you lift the whisk or beater, the egg whites should hold their shape with a little droop at the point.
- Add one third of the almond mixture to the egg whites and gently fold until just combined. Then add the vanilla extract and gently fold in. Add the remaining almond mixture and gently fold until everything is incorporated.
- For the cinnamon sugar mixture: whisk together the 1/4 cup sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Scoop out approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and form into a ball. Wet your hands with water to avoid sticking. Roll the dough into a ball and then roll in the cinnamon-sugar. Then arrange the balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little room for spreading. Optionally coat the dough balls in powdered sugar by sifting powdered sugar over the balls. Then barely flatten each ball with the bottom of a cup.
- Bake the cookies at 325ºF for 21-24 minutes. The surface of the cookie should be slightly hard when done baking, but still flexible enough to gently flatten with your finger. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!
