Amaretti

Method

1. 1 Beat the egg whites with 1 gram of salt until soft peaks form, stopping immediately while the foam is still wet, as the almond flour will cause the foam to collapse further.
2. 2 Mix the almond flour, sugar, vanilla, and grated lemon zest into the egg mixture using a spatula, until you get a sticky dough.
3. 3 Form into 8 balls of 15g each, coat them completely with powdered sugar, and arrange them 3cm apart on a tray.
4. 4 Leave the tray exposed to the air for 12 hours to allow the surface of the amaretti to dry into a thin crust; this step is crucial in creating the characteristic cracks of amaretti.
5. 5 Press a slice of almond on top and bake at 165 degrees for 18 minutes, until the top is cracked but the center remains soft.

With an appliance

• Air fryer 30 min

  Replace step 5: spray a thin layer of oil onto the sides of the mold, use a 180-degree hot air oven for 12 minutes, and rotate the tray at minute 6. The strong airflow shortens the time by about one-third compared to a conventional oven and browns the surface faster.