So have you already started on Xmas cookies? I have, although, due to this blog I start thinking about upcoming festivities a bit earlier than an average person, I guess. I was hoping to fly to see my mum for Xmas as I have not visited for two years but I’ve chickened out due to the new Omicron strain. We are all double vaccinated but still, mingling with lots of people at such a close proximity on the way there fills me with dread and I could not forgive myself if I made my mum sick.
So I am staying put and baking cookies like crazy. First up, Italian inspired amaretti with a twist. They are based on my previous recipe for classic almond amaretti but I’ve used ground pistachios to make these. They are moist and chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside, deliciously nutty and I won’t lie – quite addictive. I could not get hold of any pistachio flour near me and I left it a little late to buy it online so I ground up whole pistachios in a coffee grinder and sifted them, returning whatever was left on the sieve to the grinder for another pass. It works well, but I am pretty sure you’ll be fine using a food processor too, your cookies will be a little coarser, that’s all. I tried making these with both whipped and liquid aquafaba and both methods are pretty delicious, although with slightly different results. The whipped version produces taller, rounder cookies with a soft moist interior, which are more akin to the authentic Italian amaretti. The lazy version, which is far less involved produces flatter and therefore crispier cookies but I don’t think you would say no to either version 😉 .
*AQUAFABA – The amount you need depends on how coarse your pistachios are. Start off with less and add more if necessary. *METHOD – For this recipe, you can either whip your aquafaba until it reaches stiff peaks or use it in its liquid form. The former results in taller, more authentic looking amaretti cookies, the former results in flatter, crispier cookies – they are both delicious.
