Chocolate Amaretti Recipe

 Chocolate Amaretti Recipe

 Chocolate Amaretti Recipe

Although it is always said that chocolate does not go with wine, make an exception with these scrumptious little cookies and serve them, Italian style, with a glass of chilled champagne.

Ingredients: (Makes 24)

150 g/5 oz/1¼ cups blanched whole almonds

90 g/3½ oz/½ cup caster (superfine) sugar

15 ml/1 tablespoon (unsweetened) cocoa powder

30 ml/2 tablespoons icing (confectioners') sugar

2 egg whites

Pinch of cream of tartar

5 ml/1 teaspoon almond essence (extract)

24 flaked (sliced) almonds, to decorate

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Spread out the almonds on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C/325°F/Gas 3. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment.

Process the almonds with half the sugar in a food processor until they are finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and sift in the cocoa and icing sugar. Set aside.

 

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle in the remaining sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until the whites are glossy and stiff. Beat in the almond essence.

Sprinkle over the almond-sugar mixture and gently fold into the beaten egg whites until just blended. Spoon the mixture into a large piping (pastry) bag fitted with a plain 1 cm/½ inch nozzle. Pipe 4 cm/1½ inch rounds about 2.5 cm/1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gently press a flaked almond into the center of each.

 

Bake the cookies for about 12-15 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Remove the baking sheets to a wire rack and leave to cool for about 10 minutes. With a metal palette knife or spatula, transfer the amaretti to the wire rack to cool completely. Wrap individually in tissue paper before packing in a box if giving as a gift.