‘What are you baking Mama?’ asked my 3 and a half-year old as soon as he opened his eyelids in the morning. The house was filled with the smell of freshly baked amaretti cookies. He leaped out of bed in excitement and stood in the kitchen trying to peek into the oven. The smell of almonds and caramelised sugar was enough to drive anybody crazy, let alone the rapidly developing senses of a little sugar hungry boy. He ran to tell his brother.

“Wake up, We will have cookies for breakfast’

When did I say that! I couldn’t help but smile at the sweet exchange of words taking place between them, around the cookies.

The temperatures have been dropping a wee bit every day and I find the best way to keep warm is to switch on the oven. Even if it means 6.30 in the morning.

These Italian cookies are little bites of Heaven. They are so so good. Almonds and sugar…what a magical pair! And the good news for you..no butter, no flour! They are ready in no time and they tend to leave me with a ‘is that it?’ kind of feeling. Delicate, light, airy with a crunchy exterior and a soft chewy centre. And the scent…Oh! I could bake them every single day.

You know, I just had a thought! If I should rename my blog..

…Sugar, Almond, Raspberry et al..

 

Amaretti Cookies (recipe  adapted from Eugenie kitchen)

Yields 15

1 egg white (strictly medium size)
1/3 cup castor sugar (75 g)
4/5 cup + 1 tablespoon ground almonds (85 g)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract/essence (or vanilla extract)
A Pinch of salt
Additional confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven at 200 degrees C. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Cookies are sticky. So if you want, use silicon pad or butter the parchment paper.

Beat the egg whites until doubled (not too firm). Add in the sugar and whisk just until combined. Fold in ground almonds, almond extract, and salt cutting the batter carefully with a spatula.

Make small balls with hands and place the cookies on the parchment paper. Dust them with confectioner’s sugar.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool on a wire rack before serving.