Tuesdays with Dorie BWJ: Amaretti
November 18, 2014 at 9:50 am | Posted in BWJ, cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 15 CommentsTags: baking, cookies
My husband is half-Sicilian, and he and his family live for Italian-American bakery sweets in a way that I can’t quite understand. I knew he’d be all over Nick Malgieri’s Amaretti cookies because he never passes them up in the case at Court Pastry Shop here in Brooklyn. They’re easy enough to make at home, though…you just need some canned almond paste, and couple of egg whites and some sugar.
R, my husband, also requires pine nuts on his amaretti. Am I right that that makes them pignoli cookies? He has expensive tastes– pine nuts are like $46 a pound here! Luckily I can buy just a small scoop at Sahadi’s. I tried to be cheap with them without looking like I was being too cheap with them. I don’t love amaretti the way that R does, but these are good and just like at the bakery…crispy outside, chewy inside, sweet and full of almond paste flavor.
For the recipe, see Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan. There’s a video of the BWJ episode showing how to make the amaretti cookies. Finally, don’t forget to check out the rest of the TWD Blogroll!
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a whisk and a spoon 
agreed. these fall into the same category as most Italian cookies, in my book: NMF. (Not my fave.)
Comment by tammy— November 18, 2014 #
Pine nuts are quite expensive here too! But I love this combo of amaretti + pignoli 🙂
Comment by saffronandhoney— November 18, 2014 #
Yours look so professional!
Comment by isthisakeeper— November 18, 2014 #
I grew up with many Italian relatives and friends, and these cookies are always a part of their Christmas cookie platter! And yes you are right, when they have pine nuts on top they’re called Pignoli Cookies! Yours looks perfect, and I’m sure made your husband happy!
Comment by bakeawaywithme.com— November 18, 2014 #
my Italian half of the family also calls them from Pignoli cookies-they are from Hoboken which is just a jump across the bay from Brooklyn. Growing up, these showed up whenever my grandmother picked up cookies from the bakery-she always went to the Italian bakery near her house.
Comment by alisahuntsman— November 18, 2014 #
when am I going to remember to look for the video before baking?!? AAAAARGHH! Thanks for the link!
Comment by margaret— November 18, 2014 #
I’ve been trying to remember to put the links (when there are videos) in the P&Q posts, but I totoally forgot this time.
Comment by steph (whisk/spoon)— November 19, 2014 #
I fell I love with these cookies when my Italian roommate in college brought them home. I wish I could make these for her now so she could tell me her thoughts. I love them!
Comment by Gracie ~ Food Fascination— November 19, 2014 #
Glad they were a success in your house. and yes, just easy to make as to buy!
Comment by sunshine x 2— November 19, 2014 #
I love these cookies!! They are one of my favorites!
Comment by liztiptopshape— November 19, 2014 #
Nothing beats an Italian almond biscuit with a strong sweet coffee 🙂 reminds me of travelling in Sicily.
Comment by Poppy— November 19, 2014 #
They look great with the pine nuts! And yes, pine nuts are insanely expensive! Don’t get it. Guess there is another Google search in the future.. 😉
Comment by Cathleen | My Culinary Mission— November 20, 2014 #
Yup, my Italian other half always goes crazy for the Italian baked goods 🙂 (I have a hard time passing some of them over too…)
These look delicious!
Comment by Cher— November 21, 2014 #
I think buying the pine nuts in bulk as needed is perfect. I find the flavor goes off fairly quick, no sense in wasting them. Your cookies look great!
Comment by goldenlifephx— November 22, 2014 #
I bet this is so good! These flavors are perfection!
Comment by omlet— November 24, 2014 #