Jamaretti
A simple thumbprint cookie
With a short ingredient list and chewy moreish quality, Italian amaretti cookies top my list of simple anytime bakes. I make them most often around Christmas, when they make a delightful naturally gluten-free addition to any treat box. But after peeping several photos of London-based Quince Bakery’s gorgeous jam-filled amaretti, I knew exactly what I needed to do with the orphaned egg whites and nearly finished jam jars hanging out in my fridge. JAMARETTI!
Amaretti can range from from crisp and crunchy to soft and chewy, depending on the style and region. The two most popular are secchi (dry) or morbidi (soft). This recipe is for the latter, and boasts a soft, chewy center with a crackly, sugared crust.
Practically all amaretti morbidi recipes use the same three major ingredients: almond flour, sugar, and egg whites. The ratios and process can differ quite drastically, so I tested out several versions before landing on the recipe below. I focused mostly on sugar to almond flour ratio and the way the egg whites are incorporated.
The sugar
Amaretti are sweet cookies, often calling for equal parts sugar and almond flour to achieve its characteristic soft, chewy texture. Because of the jam addition here, I wanted to back off on the sugar. Reducing the sugar by ~30% made for not overly-saccharine yet still tender cookies. While even lower-sugar tests baked up decently, they were noticeably drier.
You can also sub up to half the sugar with light or dark brown sugar for a slightly softer cookie with a hint of molasses. This pairs especially well with stone fruit jams, like peach or plum.
The egg whites
Amaretti don’t contain a chemical leavening agent, getting their lift from the air in beaten egg whites. Some recipes call for beating the egg whites alone, while some add part of the sugar to the egg whites towards the end of beating. Tastewise, I didn’t detect much of a difference between these two methods (except for the brown sugar versions, more in a bit); though visually the ones that include sugar in the meringue puffed and cracked a little more. For this particular recipe, the cookies are indented to make room for the jam; so in the end, even the visual differences are pretty negligible. I’d say you can go either way.
However, if you opt to use brown sugar, I recommend using the brown sugar to make the meringue. This helps dissolve the brown sugar, producing a smoother-tasting cookie. I could taste a little grittiness in the brown sugar versions where all the sugar was just mixed into the almond flour.
More jamaretti tips
Use fresh, superfine almond flour. For the smoothest texture, use a blanched superfine almond flour (I use Kirkland brand). Due to its high oil content, almond flour can go rancid quickly so store it in the freezer for best shelf life.
Don’t skip the almond extract. Personally, I think good quality almond extract is non-negotiable in this recipe. I know it can be a divisive ingredient, but a judicious amount of almond extract truly amplifies the nuttiness in these cookies. (If you absolutely must, sub with vanilla extract or maybe a few drops of lemon oil.) Use a pure extract — the only ingredients should be water, alcohol, and oil of bitter almond. (I usually use Watkins brand, which is easy to find at my local grocery store.) Fun fact: traditionally, amaretti are made with actual bitter almonds, which aren’t typically available in North America as they are poisonous in their raw state. Just use the extract!
Choose a thick jam, and add it towards the end of baking. Because amaretti are on the soft side, jams that are too liquidy can make the center of the cookie soggy. This is also why I add the jam towards the end of baking, after giving the bottoms and centers time to firm up. I prefer finishing the bake with the jam in the cookie rather than filling them post bake, which helps set the surface of the jam and makes them less messy to eat.
Cookies, previously
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Jamaretti
Makes 10 cookies
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