Amaretti Cookies {Vegan}

This is my second cookie recipe this week, both of which feature aquafaba.

When I was doing research for this recipe, I had to go a bit further afield–Commercial Drive to be exact. I hadn’t had amaretti cookies in quite some time. They may not be easy for you to find, either, unless you live in a city with a fairly significant Italian population.

Thank goodness I do.

Fratelli is an old-school Italian bakery that’s been on The Drive for decades. I got some cookies to go, then headed next door to Calabria for some more Italian culture in the form of an Americano. I was literally the youngest person in there, and nearly everyone around me was speaking Italian.

There’s a lot of conflicting information about these cookies on the internet. There are, apparently, a few different versions of the cookie; but all of them come from a base of egg whites, sugar and almonds. Some are softer, some are harder, like a biscotti. They’re generally served at the end of the meal, along with coffee and liqueur, specifically Amaretto, which is a bitter digestif.

My version features a splash of Amaretto right in the mix.

Want more Aquafaba recipes? Check out my new cookbook: Aquafabulous!: 100+ Egg-Free Vegan Recipes Using Aquafaba (Bean Water)

This version is a bit crispy on the outside, but chewy on the inside. They’re sweet, but not too sweet, thanks to the slight bitterness of the almonds and the Amaretto and a touch of dark cocoa.

By the way, amaretti are not just a cookie that can be enjoyed on their own. They make a great ingredient in other desserts as well. I’ve often used them in a trifle-like type dessert to add a little texture and crunch.

Amaretti Cookies {Vegan}

• 1 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup aquafaba
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4-1/2 cup flour
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp amaretto liqueur
• icing sugar for rolling

Instructions

1. Place the aquafaba and the cream of tartar into the bowl of your stand mixer with the wire whisk attachment. Beat on low for 2 minutes, then change the speed to medium. Beat for another two minutes, while adding the sugar in a slow stream. You don’t want it to reach the fluffy meringue stage, you rather want the aquafaba to be at a marshmallow stage–glossy and white, kind of sticky.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the almond meal, cocoa powder and salt.
3. When the aquafaba has reached the gooey marshmallow stage, remove it from the mixer, and add in the almond extract and the amaretto.
4. Now fold in the dry almond meal mixture. Once this is all incorporated, begin to add in the flour, 2 tbsp at a time, until the mixture is still wet, but not gooey/sticky. You should be able to scoop up the cookies, and drop them without them sticking excessively to the spoon.
5. Drop the balls into a bed of powdered sugar and roll them around a little in it. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass.
6. Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.