Amaretti & Nutella Sandwich Cookies

Outside my ultimate dream of attending cooking school at a farmhouse in the hills of Tuscany, one with its own vineyards and olive groves, I have imagined that culinary school for pastry would be an exciting venture.

To be surrounded by curls of chocolate, pretty whisks, puffs of pastry and lemon-scented anything, sounds dreamy to me. To use words in my everyday like zabaglione, clafoutis, pots de crème and salted caramel (couldn’t resist)… would be a language I’d love to learn.

But until that day, I will do what I’ve always done which is to make the recipes of my family, of blogger friends who know their way around a sifter, and the many chefs, cookbooks, and magazines I’ve come to know and love.

Enter Epicurious. They recently shared a recipe for Chewy Amaretti Sandwich Cookies that were just too delicious-looking not to try. And if you’ve visited Ciao Chow before and read the story behind my Pignoli Cookies, then you know my hubby is a fanatic for almond, making this a no-brainer.

I did take a little liberty with the recipe by adding Nutella. Hey – when I see ‘sandwich cookie’ – I think Nutella. Do you do that, too?

But honestly – the cookie on its own, sans Nutella, is exquisite. Soft, sweet, delicate and almond-y…a perfect addition to any holiday tray.

Hmm, do you see what’s happening here? Two cookies in one.

You’ve got your Chewy Amaretti or your Amaretti & Nutella. How ’bout that?

Although a simple process from start to finish, I need you to follow the recipe to the letter. You’ll see that you need to pour a small amount of water between the parchment and the pan upon taking it out of the oven. This strategy helps the cookies stick together, should you go the no-Nutella route, as well as to make lifting the cookies from the parchment easier.

One last thing – if you’re like I, and don’t possess a pastry bag, you can place the batter in a gallon-sized plastic freezer bag with a snipped corner and it works like a charm. The recipe makes 60 small cookies or 30 sandwiches.

Thatsa nica!

Buon Appetito!

Amaretti & Nutella Sandwich Cookies

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• Author: Ciao Chow Bambina
• Category: Dessert

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Ingredients

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• 1 – 7oz. tube pure almond paste (not marzipan)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large egg whites at room temperature for 30 minutes
• Nutella
• Confectioners’ sugar (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 F with racks in upper and lower thirds.
2. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Pulse almond paste and sugar in a food processor until broken up, then add egg whites and pulse until smooth.
4. Using a pastry bag with a 3/4″ plain tip, pipe rounds 1/3″ high and about 3/4″ apart in pans.
5. Dip a fingertip in water and gently tamp down any peaks.
6. Bake, rotating and switching position of pans halfway through, until golden and puffed, 15 – 18 minutes.
7. Wearing an oven mitt, rest one pan in sink at an angle.
8. Lift top edge of parchment and slowly pour about 1/4 cup water between parchment and pan so that all parchment is lightly moistened. (Water will steam on pan, moistening bottom of cookies helping them to stick together later.)
9. Repeat with remaining pan.
10. Cool cookies in pans on racks.
11. Peel cookies from parchment.
12. Spread a small amount of Nutella on flat side of a cookie and top with another cookie.
13. Dust with confectioners’.

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{Recipe adapted from Epicurious.}

Ciao!