What Italian almond cookie is often chewy and flavored with almond extract? Amaretti is the answer. These Italian almond biscuits are typically made from sugar, egg white and almond ingredients, with a characteristic rounded shape and cracked surface; some varieties are soft and chewy while others are crisp.
The name is related to the Italian word amaro, meaning bitter, reflecting the traditional use of bitter almonds or bitter almond kernels. Modern recipes and commercial products may use almond flavouring instead, which gives the familiar marzipan-like aroma without requiring bitter almonds. The texture depends on the regional style and baking method.
Amaretti di Saronno is the crisp, brittle style associated with Saronno in Lombardy. By contrast, amaretti morbidi are soft amaretti, and the Sassello style is notably tender and marzipan-like. Thus “amaretti” is a family name rather than a single completely uniform cookie.
They are often crumbled into desserts and regional dishes, including bonet, some tiramisu recipes and stuffed peaches. They should not be confused with pizzelle, which are thin patterned wafers, or biscotti, which are twice-baked and usually firm.