Abruzzo amaretti

Abruzzo amaretti are biscuits of ground almonds, sugar and egg white, with a small share of bitter almonds (or apricot kernels) that gives the flavour and the name. They are soft inside and cracked on top.

In the pastry shops of the hills around Pescara they are an everyday sweet, to go with coffee or a liqueur. They contain no flour: they suit people who avoid gluten too, if made with checked ingredients.

• 300 g blanched almonds
• 20 g bitter almonds or apricot kernels (or a few drops of bitter almond extract)
• 250 g sugar
• 2 egg whites (about 70 g)
• Grated zest of one lemon
• Icing sugar to finish

1. Grind the almonds finely with half the sugar, in short bursts, so they do not turn oily.
2. Add the rest of the sugar and the lemon zest.
3. Lightly beat the egg whites with a fork and add them a little at a time, until the mixture is soft but can be shaped.
4. With damp hands roll walnut-sized balls, roll them in icing sugar and space them out on a lined tray.
5. Leave them to rest for an hour at room temperature, then flatten them slightly.
6. Bake at 170 °C for 15–18 minutes: they should stay pale and soft inside. Let them cool on the tray.

• Use bitter almonds sparingly: a few are enough to scent the whole mixture.
• Resting before baking creates the typical cracked crust.
• Keep them in a tin: they stay soft for a week.

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In Abruzzo almonds were grown on the sunny hills between the Majella and the sea, and almond sweets were the gift for great occasions. Amaretti come from this tradition, in convents and then in village pastry shops.

In the hill towns of the province of Pescara, such as Loreto Aprutino, amaretti are still a sweet of local identity, sometimes sold straight from the oven.