Amaretti with almonds without alcohol (Italy)

History and Origin

The word amaretto literally means "a little bitter" in Italian, referring to the historical use of bitter almonds or apricot kernels that provided a characteristic slight bitterness.

The most famous version is from Saronno, in Lombardy. According to legend, at the beginning of the 18th century, a young couple of innkeepers created these biscuits made from egg whites, sugar, and almonds to honor a cardinal's visit. The recipe quickly became very popular and became one of the region's specialties.

Over time, two main families of amaretti developed: "amaretti morbidi (soft) & amaretti secchi (drier and crispier), 

Amaretti belong to a large family of almond biscuits found throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. They thus share common origins and flavors with traditional French macarons, Spanish almendrados, or German Mandelmakronen. Further south, Algerian mchewek and some ghribias aux amandes also recall this Mediterranean passion for almond-based sweets.

Description: Delicately cracked and generously dusted with icing sugar, our almond amaretti captivate with their unique texture: a thin, slightly crisp crust that reveals a tender, melt-in-your-mouth center.

Made from carefully selected almonds, they develop sweet and fragrant notes, enhanced by a whole almond placed by hand on each biscuit. Their authentic flavor and incomparable softness make them an ideal treat for coffee, tea, or simply a sweet break.

A simple and timeless recipe that highlights the almond in all its elegance.

Ingredients

Almond powder (tree nut), sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, bitter almond extract, salt.