Orange-scented almond rounds with a fine granulated-sugar crust, adapted for the home holiday tray.
Orange Almond Amaretti
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Allow about 105 minutes: 25 hands-on, 10 chilling or resting, 40 whole-batch cooking and 30 cooling/setting. Cooling includes tray rest. Follow the method for batch sizes and doneness cues.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Kitchen scale and US measuring tools
- Mixing bowl, fork and spatula
- Fine citrus grater
- Two parchment-lined 13 × 18-inch baking sheets
- Cooling rack
Orange-scented almond rounds with a fine granulated-sugar crust, adapted for the home holiday tray.
Ingredients
Optional sprinkles are for decoration and are not included in the nutrition estimate. Spice weights are approximate.
Instructions
Infuse the sugar
- 1Infuse the sugarRub the orange zest into the 150 g dough sugar until fragrant. Stir in almond flour and salt. Beat egg whites with vanilla using a fork until loosened, then mix into the dry ingredients.
Rest and flatten
- 2Rest and flattenCover and refrigerate the paste for 10 minutes. Heat the oven to 325°F (163°C) conventional or 300°F (149°C) fan. Divide into 24 portions of about 19 g; roll in coating sugar and flatten gently into 1 1/2-inch rounds, about 1/2 inch thick.
Bake
- 3BakeArrange 12 rounds per parchment-lined 13 × 18-inch sheet with 1 inch between edges. Bake each sheet separately on the middle rack for 18–20 minutes, 40 minutes for all cookies. The surfaces should crack lightly and the bases should be pale gold.
Let the centers settle
- 4Let the centers settleRest each batch on the sheet for 10 minutes, then cool on a rack for 20 minutes. Count 30 minutes after the last sheet for complete cooling.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
Grate only the orange-colored peel; white pith adds bitterness.
Technique & texture
Keep rounds thick enough for a tender center.
Finishing & serving
The measured granulated coating gives a sparkling finish rather than a snowy shell.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Up to 4 days | Store cool cookies airtight, separately from moist or filled cookies. |
| Refrigeration | Not needed for baked cookies | Keep the sugar crust dry. |
| Raw freezing | Not recommended | Prepare and bake the raw egg-white paste fresh. |
| Baked freezing | Up to 1 month | Freeze fully cooled rounds in a sealed container. |
| Restoring | Before serving | Thaw with the container closed, then serve at room temperature. |
Notes
- Grate only the orange-colored peel; white pith adds bitterness. Keep rounds thick enough for a tender center. The measured granulated coating gives a sparkling finish rather than a snowy shell. This home formula has not been kitchen-tested.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving calculated from ingredient weights divided by 24; required fillings and toppings included, optional decorations excluded. Brands, unused coating and actual serving size affect the estimate.
THE COOKIE INDEXITALIANCHRISTMAS COOKIES
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use orange extract instead of zest?
Extract strength varies; zest is the measured flavoring for this formula.
Why is there no powdered sugar?
This variation has a thin granular crust that lets the pale almond surface show.
Can I flatten them very thin?
Thin cookies dry out quickly. Keep the specified half-inch thickness for a chewy bite.
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