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How to make the amaretti: Blanch and toast the almonds. Peel and chop them very finely or crush them in a
mortar with 1/2 cup sugar. Add the vanilla, beat egg whites till
stiffened, then fold in the almonds. Spoon the batter into a pastry bag
fitted with a plain tip. Pipe 2 l/2-in. wide rounds about 1 1/2 apart on
a buttered baking sheet and flatten them a bit. Sift the confectioner's
sugar over the tops and let stand at room temperature 1-2 hours.
Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF and bake for about 20 min. Remove the
amaretti from oven
and cool.
Amaretti may be kept in a sealed box for
several days.
Recipe courtesy of The Italian Trade Commission.
The distinctive small cookies called amaretti (a tiny bit bitter),
may be packaged loose in clear bags, or may come wrapped in pairs in
flowerlike tissues, echoing one romantic legend of their origin. This
tells how a young baker and his lovely fiancee had invented the cookies
in the 1700's as a gift to the visiting Cardinal of Milan. Though it was
customary to present the Cardinal with cakes or sweets, the town's scant
food supplies could not feed the prelate's huge entourage; so the lovers
quickly gathered sacks of almonds, sugar, eggs and flour, and baked
scores of shiny and chewy biscuits. The appreciative Cardinal and his
numerous followers soon became regular customers. Three generations
later, when the delicious almond liqueur Amaretto was invented,
amaretti incorporated this taste. Sprinkled with diamond-like sugar
crystals, amaretti today lend special enjoyment after meals to
tables all around the world, and are especially delicious when dipped in
red wine.
Recipes
RIPIENO DI ZUCCA
TIRAMISU'
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Photo (c)