If there is one thing that is sure to get everyone in a festive mood, it is the beginning of holiday baking. Every family has its own favorite Christmas cookies that are highly anticipated every year. If you are an almond lover, you will love these soft almond cookies and you will definitely want to include them in this year’s cookie baking marathon!
These soft almond cookies are also known as amaretti morbidi (morbidi meaning “soft” in Italian, as regular amaretti cookies generally have a hard exterior) and they are small bite-sized treats with a chewy exterior and a tender center with intense almond flavor.
These easy cookies are dairy-free and almost gluten free, as the main ingredient is almond flour (or finely ground almonds). All you need are two bowls and a whisk and the recipe comes together surprisingly fast. Kids love rolling these into confectioners’ sugar, so make sure to enlist their help!
Baking cookies is thankfully something that can be done ahead of time and stored safely in airtight containers for when they are needed. These soft and slightly chewy amaretti cookies are the perfect make-ahead cookie for the holidays and stay soft and fresh for almost a week. Make them this weekend and enjoy them at your holiday party, as part of your cookie exchange traditions, and throughout the holidays!
- 7 oz. almond flour or very finely ground almonds (a little over 2 cups)
- 7 oz. granulated sugar (a little less than a cup)
- 2 TBSP. All-purpose flour
- --- pinch salt
- 2 lrg. egg whites
- ¾ tsp. almond extract
- --- --- confectioners' (or icing) sugar
- In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, granulated sugar and all-purpose flour.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until the whites are foamy and fall into soft mounds (not quite soft peaks). Whisk in the almond extract. Add the egg whites to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until it all comes together, kneading lightly with your hands if necessary, until it forms a very sticky dough.
- Lightly dust your hands with confectioners' sugar to prevent any dough from sticking to your hands and pour some extra confectioners' sugar into a large soup bowl or rimmed plate. Scoop out pieces of dough with a small cookie scoop or spoon then form the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the confectioners' sugar, then arrange them on parchment paper-lined sheets, leaving 1-inch of space between the cookies.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. While the oven heats up, let the cookies sit out and dry a little.
- When the oven is ready, bake the cookies for 20 to 22 minutes or until the tops are cracked and the bottoms are just barely golden. Do not over bake–the cookies should still look slightly “underdone” when ready. Let them cool for 2 to 3 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
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Good Morning Marilena – I made your soft amaretto cookies this morning and I used my scale to weigh the dry ingredients but the mix was very wet, but tried shaping into balls but they baked flat. What did I do wrong? Sending photo but they were still so lovely to eat. Thankyou
Hi Constance! So happy to know that you already tried my recipe!
Since you used the scale to weigh the dried ingredients, then, the only variable that can make the cookies not hold their shape is the kind of almond flour you used. The moisture level can be different from one brand to another brand. I have been using Bob’s Red Mill almond flour and I never had the problem of spreading. I hope you try the recipe again – I have been making these cookies for years now, with great results! Also, please know that it is a very forgiving recipe…. Next time you make it, if the mixture feels soft/wet, just add a bit more almond flour until you get a better consistency. I would love to know how your next batch turns out! I am so glad that they were still tasty to eat!
These are quick, easy, beautiful and absolutely delicious! What’s not to love? My family loves everything almond and these are sure to be a hit. Thanks for sharing the recipe! Merry Christmas!
Thank you so much Gail for sharing this! They are really easy to make and I know your family will like them, especially since they love everything with almonds. Merry Christmas to you too!
Nothing like a soft, chewy cookie… And these sounds particularly nice. I love anything with almonds!
Thank you Frank – Being Italian, I am sure you are very familiar with these soft amaretti cookies! I love almond cookies so much and these are so easy to make!