Lemon Amaretti Biscuits
These delicious biscuits are a twist on traditional Italian almond amaretti biscuits, crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. So easy to make, and delicious with your morning coffee. Check the Stelle Table blog for almond amaretti and cinnamon amaretti, too.
Ingredients
250 gm whole natural almonds (I prefer skin on) or 250gm pre-ground almonds
2 medium egg whites
Zest of one medium lemon (fresher is easier to zest)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1-2 small drops almond essence (improves the flavor without the marzipan taste)
150gm caster sugar
3-4 tbsp extra caster sugar for rolling the dough drops before baking
3-4 tbsp sifted icing sugar for rolling the dough drops after rolling in caster sugar
Lemon Cookie Dough
Separate the eggs. Place whites in a bowl and whip for several minutes until very thick and forms peaks.
Put whole almonds in a food processor or blender and process until crumbed. Tip into a bowl, reserving approximately 50 grams to add if dough is too wet from the lemon juice.
Add the 150gm of caster sugar, almond essence, lemon zest and half the lemon juice to start. Mix through. Fold the whipped egg white carefully into the mixture until all mixed through forming cookie dough. Do not beat the mixture. Taste-test the dough to see if lemon flavor comes through, if not, add more juice. Add more ground almonds if dough is wet and sticky.
Turn the oven to 150 c fan. Refrigerate dough while the oven heats up.
Take the dough form the fridge. With a small teaspoon make little balls of about 2.5 - 3 cm in diameter each.
Measure caster sugar onto a side plate. Sift icing sugar onto another.
Roll the dough balls in the caster sugar keeping them round, then in the icing sugar. The icing sugar should heavily coat the dough.
Place balls 5 cm apart on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Don't press down.
Bake 7-8 minutes. The biscuits should be slightly brown under the icing sugar but not dark. Keep an eye on them the whole time.
Remove from oven and leave for a few minutes then use fish slice to place them on a cooling rack.
Good to eat warm or cold. Store in an airtight container or in the freezer.
Click here for Almond Amaretti Biscuits
Click here for Cinnamon Amaretti Biscuits
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| Lemon Amaretti Biscuits |