Active Time
20 min
Total Time
1 hr
Ingredients
Makes about 4 dozen
Equipment:
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 300°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line 2 large (17- by 12-inch) 4-sided sheet pans with parchment paper.
Step 2
Pulse almond paste and sugar in a food processor until broken up, then add egg whites and pulse until smooth. Transfer to pastry bag and pipe 3/4-inch rounds (1/3 inch high) about 3/4 inch apart in pans. Dip a fingertip in water and gently tamp down any peaks.
Step 3
Bake, rotating and switching position of pans halfway through, until golden and puffed, 15 to 18 minutes.
Step 4
Wearing an oven mitt, rest 1 pan in sink at an angle. Lift top edge of parchment and slowly pour about 1/4 cup water between parchment and sheet pan so that all of parchment is lightly moistened (water will steam on pan, moistening bottom of cookies to help them stick together later). Repeat with remaining sheet pan. Cool cookies in pans on racks.
Step 5
Peel cookies from parchment and sandwich bottoms of cookies together
Cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature 1 day or frozen up to 1 month.
Leave a Review
Reviews (23)
Back to TopMy family raved over these. I used silpats rather than parchment, and sandwiched the two halves together with raspberry jam. I'll be making these again.
Anonymous
West Orange, NJ
1/31/2017
You can't go wrong with almonds, sugar and egg whites in terms of taste - but they were not the to-die-for amaretti cookies I was hoping for. Definitely chewy - mine are almost like toffee in the center. They also definitely spread a lot - leave ample space between cookies!
Anonymous
TX
6/19/2013
I am a big almond lover with a sweet tooth, so this recipe is heaven! The water did not run under all the cookies: those that got wet, stayed chewy and were easier to remove; those that didn't were harder to remove and crunchier. It was a warm summer evening and I had a hard time getting the cookies to pile this high, so they came out flatter than I expected. I froze some for later and they were just as good a few weeks later and stayed chewy.
Anonymous
New York, NY
9/4/2012
Very interesting contrast of textures, almost like a macaroon. Not all of them came off the parchment well. Did not do the steam thing or sandwiching, seemed like a hassle. But beware of how sweet this can be. Your premade almond paste probably has a lot of sugar already in it. Would recommend cutting back on the sugar unless you are a sweet fiend. I added a couple drops of rose water for a little fragrant mystery. Looking forward to having them at tea time!
Anonymous
san jose,ca
4/6/2012
I loved this recipe! I don't think that they came out too sweet (but admittedly, I love sweet things). The almond paste gave it a wonderful flavor. My brother doesn't like dessert at all, but he ate a bunch of these. I didn't sandwich the cookies, and instead left them as cute little, single ones. I think that if I'd sandwiched them, they would have been a little overwhelming. Don't be discouraged by how small they look when you're putting them on the cookie sheet, they really expand when baked. Make sure to bake all the way through, though, I had a problem with the bottoms sticking to the parchment paper. All in all, these were a huge hit, and I'd definitely make them again.
Anonymous
Dalllas, Texas
7/2/2011
Surprising--excellent and simple.
poprose
1/15/2011
not a fan...the batter was hard to pipe out evenly and it turned out so sweet. i should have cut the sugar as suggested.
Anonymous
nyc ,ny
12/23/2010
These are very tasty. Not drop dead delicious, but worth making more than once. I cut the sugar (2/3 cup) too, and added 1/3 cup flaked coconut which added a nice texture. Skip the sandwiching together step, the beautifully browned bottoms add to the chewiness.
ciaopy
san marcos, tx
5/20/2010
Ok...don't quite know what to say! huge mess, not a pretty cookie...but super yummy. will have to try again1
bblind
Stockholm, sweden
5/1/2010
am i supposed to whip the egg whites separately? mine turned out flat. :(
Anonymous
1/10/2010
Nice, unusal cookie with a great crunchy-outside-chewy-inside texture. You have to really like the taste of almond paste though - they are very sweet and can be overpowering (I made large versions). On second thought I would make them smaller, as the recipe suggests.
robinonino
Redmond, WA
1/3/2010
These were tasty and very easy, but I had a couple of problems. I had to make my own almond paste as I couldn't find any here, and I think it was too sweet; my cookies came out almost too chewy and sweet, I would be inclined to agree with reducing the sugar in the recipe. Part of my cookies' problem may also have been down to a parchment malfunction: When I swapped the top sheet for the bottom, the paper tried to slide off, and in the subsequent delay in closing the oven door, I could see the cookies deflate.
skinnyboy
NY, now in Chester, UK
12/28/2009
Great cookie. Reduced sugar to 2/3 cup and dust with confectioner's sugar before putting into the oven. Used silpat mats so didn't have to steam cookie off the sheet, however make sure cookies cool completely on the mats, otherwise they will stick and tear.
sfoeyl
mill valley, ca
12/24/2009
Wonderful cookie! Followed directions exactly, including steaming the cookie from the parchment paper. I got 50 individual cookies.
Anonymous
Pendleton, OR
12/23/2009
I made 1/2 of this recipe & 1/2 of Joy of Cookings amaretti cookies. No comparison! These are the best! Chewier & easier. Mine were about 1 inch and required a bit longer cooking time. I would be very careful not to overcook. Stop when they are manilla folder color. I agree w/ other readers that the water technique does help them to stick together, but is not necessary if you don't mind single cookies. Mine did not get the cracked top but tasted fine.
Recipe_follower
Philadelphia, PA
12/19/2009