Description
These Chocolate Cranberry Amaretti Cookies combine the rich flavors of cocoa, sweet dried cranberries, and a hint of Amaretto liquor into chewy, almond-based delights. Perfectly crisp on the outside with a tender center, these Italian-inspired treats are rolled in caster and icing sugar for a beautiful crackled finish. Ideal as a festive snack or elegant dessert accompaniment.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 280 g (3 1/2 cups) store-bought ground almonds
- 4 tbsp sifted cocoa powder (ensure gluten-free if needed)
- 280 g (1 1/2 cups minus 2 tbsp) caster sugar
- 100 g (1/2 cup) dried cranberries
- 4 heaped tbsp caster sugar (for rolling)
- 4 heaped tbsp icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar, for rolling)
Wet Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 35 ml (2 1/4 tbsp) Amaretto liquor
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Trays: Preheat your oven to 170°C (325°F) fan-assisted. Line two baking trays with a silicone mat or parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Whisk Egg Whites: Whisk the 3 egg whites using a hand whisk or electric mixer until they reach stiff peaks, meaning they hold firm and do not collapse when the whisk is lifted.
- Fold in Dry Ingredients: Gently fold the ground almonds, sifted cocoa powder, caster sugar, dried cranberries, and vanilla extract into the stiff egg whites, being careful not to deflate the mixture. This creates the cookie batter.
- Add Amaretto Liquor: Slowly incorporate the Amaretto liquor into the mixture. Add just enough so that the batter forms a thick paste, sticky yet moldable, so you can form it into a ball by hand that holds its shape.
- Prepare Sugar Coatings: On two separate plates, spread out the caster sugar on one and the icing sugar on the other, ready for rolling the cookie balls.
- Shape and Sugar-Coat Cookies: Using a teaspoon, scoop out portions of the dough about the size of a walnut. Roll each portion into a ball by hand, then coat first in caster sugar and then in icing sugar. Arrange the balls spaced apart on the prepared baking trays.
- Flatten Slightly and Bake: Use your finger to gently flatten each cookie ball slightly to help them bake evenly. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until set with a cracked sugar exterior.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking trays before serving. This allows them to firm up and develop the perfect chewy texture.
Notes
- Ensure your cocoa powder is gluten-free if gluten sensitivity is a concern.
- Amaretto liquor can be substituted with almond extract if preferred, but adjust quantity as the extract is more concentrated.
- Use fresh egg whites at room temperature for better volume when whisking.
- These cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week and freeze well for longer storage.
- For a nut-free alternative, almond flour can be replaced with a seed flour, but this will alter texture and flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
