Hey there, I'm Jill, the founder of GrownupDish.com and your go-to gal for everything midlife. As a recovering CEO, food lover, world traveler, and self-proclaimed pop culture aficionado, I've got a wealth of experience and wisdom to share with you.
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Some cooking classes teach you technique. Some teach you patience. The one my husband and I attended at Cook Street in Denver taught us that the best things are often the simplest ones. We spent the evening learning knife skills, building flavors from scratch, and generally feeling like we had our lives together. Then came dessert. Amaretti cookies with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel. The room went quiet
These are not the rock-hard amaretti wrapped in crinkly paper that you find at Italian restaurants. Those are fine. These are better. Chewy in the center, golden at the edges, and rolled in pine nuts that toast up in the oven and give every bite a little crunch. They taste expensive. They are not.
Video: Let’s Make Amaretti Cookies
What Even Are Amaretti?
Amaretti are Italian almond cookies. The name comes from the Italian word for bitter, “amaro,” which refers to the slight bitterness that comes from almond paste. They have been around in various forms since at least the 18th century, with the city of Saronno in northern Italy claiming one of the more famous versions. The cookies traditionally show up at Italian holidays and celebrations, but there is no reason to wait for a special occasion. A Tuesday works fine.
The classic version uses almond paste or ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites. That is essentially it. No butter, no flour. They are naturally gluten-free, which means you can mention that to people who care about that sort of thing.
The Pine Nut Factor
The addition that makes this particular recipe stand out is the pine nut crust. You roll the dough balls in pine nuts before baking, which does two things. It gives the cookies texture that plain amaretti do not have, and it adds a richness that plays beautifully against the sweetness of the almond paste and sugar.
Pine nuts have a reputation for being expensive, and they are. They are also worth it here. You need one and a half cups, which sounds like a lot until you do the math across 30 cookies and realize you are getting a very good return on that investment.
The Ice Cream Situation
At the class, we ate these warm from the oven alongside vanilla ice cream with caramel drizzled over the top. This was not a complicated dessert presentation. It was a masterclass in knowing when to stop. The warm cookie against cold ice cream, the caramel pulling everything together. You do not need to overthink it. Get good vanilla ice cream. Use real caramel, not the squeeze bottle variety. Let the cookies do the rest.
If you want to make this into an actual dinner party moment, bake the cookies earlier in the day and reheat them in a 300-degree oven for about five minutes right before serving. They will taste nearly as good as they did fresh, and you will not be standing in the kitchen rolling dough while your guests drink all the wine without you.
A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Start
Almond paste and marzipan are not the same thing. Marzipan is sweeter and has a different texture. Use almond paste, not marzipan. It is usually found near the baking supplies or in the specialty foods section.
The dough is sticky. Rolling the balls between your palms works better if you move quickly. If the dough is giving you trouble, wet your hands very slightly.
These cookies keep well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to five days, though in our house that has never been tested.
Italian Amaretti cookies made with almond paste, orange zest, and egg whites, then rolled in pine nuts before baking. Chewy centers, crisp edges, no flour required. A classic Italian cookie that comes together in under 30 minutes and keeps for five days if they last that long.
Ingredients
14 oz almond paste
1 cup sugar
2 large egg whites
finely grated zest of one orange
1 1/2 cups pine nuts
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Crumble almond paste into the work bowl of a food processor and process until the paste is in fine crumbs. Sprinkle in the sugar with the motor running. Once the sugar is incorporated, add the egg whites and orange zest. Process to make a smooth dough, about 20 to 30 seconds.
Spread the pine nuts on a plate. Form the dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. Roll the dough in the pine nuts until coated. Place on baking sheets.
Bake until lightly golden and springy to the touch, about 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool completely
