Egg White Usage 4 - Amaretti

I have been making quite a far bit of ice creams recently and not surprisingly, I am left with a lot of egg whites each time I make a tub of cream. Donna Hay's book helped a lot as it seemed to have a lot of usage for egg whites! Here's number uno for you - Amaretti.

What is amaretti? Here's an excerpt from Joy of Baking :

Amaretti (pronounced "am-ah-REHT-tee") is the Italian name for macaroons, which means little bitter things. These small, domed-shaped cookies that are crisp and crunchy on the outside and soft inside, originated in Venice Italy during the Renaissance period. Amaretti cookies are made from either ground almonds or almond paste, along with sugar and egg whites and can be flavored with chocolate or liqueurs. Oftentimes, two baked cookies are sandwiched together with ganache, buttercream or jam. Traditionally these cookies were served with a sweet dessert wine or liqueur, but they are also a wonderful accompaniment to a bowl of ice cream, sherbets, or mousses. Another favorite way to use these cookies is to finely grind them and then add them to desserts (such as trifles) for added texture and flavor. 

Frankly, I find this so so only. The almond is nice but somehow I think I am still more into intense rich and buttery cookies.




Amaretti

Adapted from Donna Hay's Modern Classic2
Ingredients
200g almond meal (I just used ground almond)
1 cup sugar1/4 cup plain flour
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method

1. Preheat oven 180°C
2. Process almond, sugar, flour, egg whites & vanilla extract in a food process till combined
3. Roll tablespoonful of mixture into balls, place on baking sheet and press to flatten them slightly
4. Bake for 13mins or till light golden. Cool & serve best with coffee.