Crunchy on the outside, wonderfully chewy on the inside, these vegan amaretti are light but not insubstantial. They're naturally gluten-free and not overly sweet either. If you're looking to impress the almond lovers in your life, this is the recipe for you.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk the almonds, all but 1 tbsp of sugar, baking powder and salt together.
125 g ground almonds, 80 g golden caster sugar, ½ tsp baking powder, pinch fine sea salt
Pour the aquafaba into a squeaky clean bowl and add the reserved tablespoon of sugar. If the bowl is in any way greasy, the aquafaba won't whisk into a meringue. Using electric beaters or a stand mixer, whisk the aquafaba and sugar on a medium high speed until firm peaks form. This usually takes about five minutes. If you turn the bowl upside down and the meringue stays put, you know it's done.
50 ml aquafaba
Fold the meringue into the almond mixture along with the amaretto or almond extract.
2 tsp Amaretto liqueur
Set the oven to 160℃ (140℃ fan, 320℉, Gas 3).
Line a baking tin with baking paper. If you have another tin of the same size, tuck it underneath the first one. This will help prevent the bottoms from browning too much.
Sift the icing sugar into a wide flat bottomed bowl.
2 tbsp icing sugar
Take teaspoonfuls of the amaretti mixture, roll it quickly between your hands to form a ball shape. The dough is a little sticky, but it shouldn't be wet. Drop the balls into the bowl of icing sugar and roll them around until well covered.
Place slightly apart on the baking tray. They will flatten a little as they bake, but should still be nice and chunky.
Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the amaretti are just starting to turn golden around the edges.
Leave on the tray for a couple of minutes to firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
If the dough is too sticky and soft to roll, place in the fridge for half an hour to firm up. Otherwise, the amaretti might go completely flat when they're in the oven.Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.