Amaretti Cookies {Vegan}

This is my second cookie recipe this week, both of which feature aquafaba.

When I was doing research for this recipe, I had to go a bit further afield–Commercial Drive to be exact. I hadn’t had amaretti cookies in quite some time. They may not be easy for you to find, either, unless you live in a city with a fairly significant Italian population.

Thank goodness I do.

Fratelli is an old-school Italian bakery that’s been on The Drive for decades. I got some cookies to go, then headed next door to Calabria for some more Italian culture in the form of an Americano. I was literally the youngest person in there, and nearly everyone around me was speaking Italian.

There’s a lot of conflicting information about these cookies on the internet. There are, apparently, a few different versions of the cookie; but all of them come from a base of egg whites, sugar and almonds. Some are softer, some are harder, like a biscotti. They’re generally served at the end of the meal, along with coffee and liqueur, specifically Amaretto, which is a bitter digestif.

My version features a splash of locally-sourced Amaretto right in the mix.

Want more Aquafaba recipes? Check out my new cookbook: Aquafabulous!: 100+ Egg-Free Vegan Recipes Using Aquafaba (Bean Water)

These vegan amaretti cookies are a bit crispy on the outside, but chewy on the inside. They’re sweet, but not too sweet, thanks to the slight bitterness of the almonds and the Amaretto and a touch of dark cocoa.

By the way, amaretti are not just a cookie that can be enjoyed on their own. They make a great ingredient in other desserts as well. I’ve often used them in a trifle-like type dessert to add a little texture and crunch.

Amaretti Cookies {Vegan}

Rebecca Coleman

A vegan version of the Italian Classic cookie.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup aquafaba
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4-1/2 cup flour
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp amaretto liqueur
• icing sugar for rolling

Instructions

 

• Place the aquafaba and the cream of tartar into the bowl of your stand mixer with the wire whisk attachment. Beat on low for 2 minutes, then change the speed to medium. Beat for another two minutes, while adding the sugar in a slow stream. You don't want it to reach the fluffy meringue stage, you rather want the aquafaba to be at a marshmallow stage--glossy and white, kind of sticky.
• In a separate bowl, combine the almond meal, cocoa powder and salt.
• When the aquafaba has reached the gooey marshmallow stage, remove it from the mixer, and add in the almond extract and the amaretto.
• Now fold in the dry almond meal mixture. Once this is all incorporated, begin to add in the flour, 2 tbsp at a time, until the mixture is still wet, but not gooey/sticky. You should be able to scoop up the cookies, and drop them without them sticking excessively to the spoon.
• Drop the balls into a bed of powdered sugar and roll them around a little in it. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass.
• Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Keyword vegan