Orange and Ginger Amaretti Cookies
This Orange and Ginger Amaretti Cookies recipe is by Justin Gellatly, one of Britain’s best bakers. He’s London’s king of doughnuts; co-founder of Borough Market’s Bread Ahead bakery and the author of the indispensable bakers’ guide Bread, Cake, Doughnut, Pudding.
These Orange and Ginger Amaretti cookies are a riff on the classic Italian Amaretti ‘pastries’. What are “Amaretti” Cookies [or biscuits, as the Brits say]? Amaretti are traditionally made using ground almonds, sugar, egg whites, and almond extract or Amaretto liqueur. The word “Amaretti” is derived from the Italian word “amari,” meaning bitter, which refers to the presence of bitter almond in the cookies. These delightful treats are often associated with the regions of Lombardy and Piedmont, where they are considered a culinary treasure.
A perfect hostess gift, these Orange and Ginger Amaretti cookies are a stunningly crisp and chewy treat with the warming spice of ginger and juicy fresh zest they also go well with espresso, an Amaretto, or a sherry or two.
Anything that combines orange, almond, and ginger is a winner in my book, and since we’re always looking for ways to get healthy ingredients into our food [ yes, even with cookies!] this recipe has become a firm favourite here at Maison Bonhomie.
Orange and Ginger Amaretti Cookies
Equipment
- Electronic digital scales
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Sieve optional
- Baking Parchment
- 2 Baking Tray
- Cooling Rack optional
Ingredients
- 2 egg whites, from large eggs 70 grams
- 188 grams caster sugar [1 cup, minus 1 tablespoon]
- 300 grams ground almonds [ 1 1/2 cups]
- 1 Tablespoon stem ginger, chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger, plus 1 tsp extra for dusting
- 1 1/2 teaspoon stem ginger syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract use a good quality product
- oranges, zest of 2
- 100 grams icing sugar for dusting [ 1/2 cup]
Instructions
- Gather and weigh your ingredients
- Preheat the oven to 160C fan/gas mark 4. [320F]
- Place the egg whites in a bowl and hand whisk them until frothy, then add the sugar and whisk until soft peaks are formed. This will take a good few minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (except the icing sugar and ground ginger for dusting) and mix with a spatula until incorporated.
- Now cut the dough into 18 pieces, ensuring each weighs about 30g, then roll them into balls.
- Sieve the icing sugar and extra ground ginger into a tray, mix together and place the balls in the tray. Roll them around, then leave them to sit for 10 minutes to absorb some of the icing sugar. Now carpet-bomb the balls with the icing-sugar mix, really packing it on.
- Carefully place the sugared amaretti on a lined baking tray, giving them some space between each other as they will puff out a little.
- Bake for 16 minutes until they’re cracked all over and golden brown on the cracked edges. Take them out and leave to cool a little before serving; or entirely, if they’re going to be a gift.
