Italian Amaretti with Nutella | Amaretti alla Nutella

Sep 29

11 min read

Amaretti alla Nutella (Italian Amaretti with Nutella)

An amaretto is almonds, sugar and egg white and nothing else, which is why it is naturally gluten free and far less forgiving than it looks. Here two of them close around a spoonful of Nutella, and the result is crisp at the rim, chewy in the middle and soft at the heart.

The shells are baked a little drier than a plain amaretto so they can carry the spread without going soft.

Yield: 12 filled cookies, made from 24 shells. Prep: 25 minutes. Rest: 45 minutes. Bake: 18 minutes. Cooling: 45 minutes. Difficulty: intermediate. Course: dessert. Region: Piedmont and Lombardy.

The Story

Amaretti belong to northern Italy, and two towns fight over them. Saronno, in Lombardy, tells the story of a cardinal passing through in the early 1700s and being welcomed with almond biscuits baked in his honor, and the Lazzaroni house there has made them since 1718. Mombaruzzo, in the Asti hills of Piedmont, makes a softer, moister version in which some of the almonds are replaced by apricot kernels, and the confectioners of Sassello, in Liguria, have their own claim. The name comes from amaro, bitter, because the original paste leaned on bitter almonds, and the classic tins still come wrapped in pairs of tissue paper, twisted at the ends, exactly as they were sold generations ago.

Nutella comes from the same corner of Piedmont as Mombaruzzo. In 1946 Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker in Alba, began selling a sliceable hazelnut and cocoa loaf. Cocoa was scarce after the war, and Piedmont had a habit going back to the Napoleonic blockade of stretching chocolate with local hazelnuts, the tradition behind gianduja. The loaf became a spreadable cream in 1951, and in 1964 it received the name Nutella. The hazelnut is the Tonda Gentile of the Langhe, the same hills that grow the nebbiolo behind Barolo, and the roasted flavor of that nut is what makes the pairing with almond so natural.

Turin turned the same instinct into a whole confectionery culture. The gianduiotto, a wrapped ingot of hazelnut and chocolate, was first sold by Caffarel at the Turin carnival of 1865 and named for the local carnival mask Gianduja. The cafes of the city built drinks and pastries around that flavor, and generations of Piedmontese children grew up with a hazelnut cream jar on the kitchen table beside a tin of amaretti. Almonds themselves arrived in Italy long before, carried across the Mediterranean by Arab traders, and the Renaissance kitchens of Siena and Venice were already making sugar and almond pastes that are the ancestors of both marzipan and the amaretto.

The sandwich you are about to make is not an ancient recipe. No village has a tradition of pressing Nutella between amaretti, and it would be dishonest to pretend otherwise. It is a modern pairing, but it rests on real geography: Piedmontese hazelnut and almond share the same warm, toasted, faintly bitter aromas, so the filling tastes like an extension of the cookie rather than a decoration stuck onto it. It is a very Piedmontese idea, even if nobody wrote it down before.

Ingredients

For the amaretti shells

Blanched almond flour, very fine, from skinless almonds, 2 cups (200 g)
Granulated sugar, 3/4 cup (150 g)
Egg whites, at room temperature, from 2 large eggs, about 1/4 cup (60 g)
Fine sea salt, 1/8 tsp (0.7 g)
Pure almond extract, 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml)
Pure vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml)
Finely grated lemon zest, from 1 small unwaxed lemon, 1 tsp (2 g)
Parchment paper, for lining two sheet pans

For rolling

Granulated sugar, in a shallow bowl, 1/4 cup (50 g)
Confectioners' sugar, in a second shallow bowl, 1/2 cup (60 g)
Cool water, for dampening your hands, 1/4 cup (60 ml)

For the filling

Nutella, at room temperature so that it spreads without tearing the shells, 3/4 cup (220 g)

For finishing

Toasted Tonda Gentile hazelnuts, finely chopped, 2 tbsp (15 g)
Flaky sea salt, 1 small pinch
Confectioners' sugar, for the last dusting, 1 tbsp (8 g)

For serving, optional

Mascarpone or unsweetened whipped cream, 1/2 cup (120 g)
Whole toasted hazelnuts, 12

Preparation

Dry the almond flour and combine the solids

Heat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Spread the almond flour on a sheet pan in an even layer and dry it for 8 minutes, stirring once halfway, until it feels dry and sandy but has taken no color. Cool it completely, or the warm flour will start to cook the whites. Whisk it with the 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar and the lemon zest in a large bowl, pressing out any lumps against the side with the back of a spoon so the mixture is fine and even.

Whip the whites to soft peaks only

Whisk the whites with the salt in a clean, dry bowl until they are white and foamy and hold a soft peak that folds over at the tip, about 2 minutes with a hand mixer on medium speed. Stop there. Whites whipped to stiff peaks make a dry paste that is hard to fold, cracks in the bowl and bakes into hollow, crumbly cookies. Any trace of yolk or grease in the bowl will stop the whites from rising, so wipe it with a little lemon juice if in doubt.

Fold in the almonds and the extracts

Add the almond and vanilla extracts to the whites. Fold in the almond mixture in three additions with a flexible spatula, cutting down through the center, sweeping along the bottom and turning over until no dry pockets remain. The paste should be thick, sticky and just holdable, closer to a soft dough than a batter. Cover the bowl and chill for 15 minutes so it firms and becomes easier to shape.

Roll, coat and rest the shells

Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line two sheet pans with parchment. With damp hands, roll level tablespoons of paste into 24 balls of about 1 oz (17 g), rewetting your fingers whenever the paste begins to stick. Roll each one first in the granulated sugar and then generously in the confectioners' sugar, pressing lightly so the coat holds. Space them 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the pans, and leave them uncovered until the surface is dry to the touch, about 45 minutes in an ordinary kitchen. Do not skip this wait, because the crackled surface depends on it, as explained below.

Bake cool and dry, not hot and fast

Bake one pan at a time on the middle rack for 16 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway. The cracks open in the first 8 minutes, and the shells are done when the surface is set, the base is pale gold and the rim is just beginning to color. They will feel soft when hot and firm as they cool. Do not let them turn brown. Slide the parchment onto a wire rack and cool the shells completely, a full 45 minutes.

Match, fill and rest the sandwiches

Pair the shells by size, so that each sandwich sits level. Turn half of them over, flat sides facing up, and spoon or pipe about 1 tablespoon (18 g) of Nutella onto each, leaving a border of 1/4 inch (6 mm). Press the partners on gently with a turning motion until the spread reaches the edge, and wipe any excess with a small offset spatula. Roll the exposed rim in the chopped hazelnuts, add a few flakes of salt on the top and rest the cookies 30 minutes before serving so the filling sets.

Plating

Serve these at room temperature, on a cool matte plate, so the Nutella stays soft but does not run. Stack three sandwiches in a low pyramid or lay them in a loose row, and dust the tops lightly with confectioners' sugar through a fine sieve just before they reach the table, because the earlier dusting will have melted into the surface.

For a dessert course, set a small spoon of unsweetened whipped cream or mascarpone beside them and a few whole toasted hazelnuts. With coffee, one on the saucer is enough, and with an espresso it is the whole dessert. Choose a plate with a little space around each cookie, and keep it spare. The cracked white shell is the picture, and anything more only hides it.

Professional Technique

The crack that makes an amaretto look right is built before the cookie ever enters the oven. After rolling, the balls are left to rest uncovered until the surface is dry to the touch. In the oven, the interior heats first, the trapped air and steam expand, and the cookie tries to grow. A dry, brittle skin has no give, so it breaks, and the split follows the lines where the sugar film is thinnest. Skip the rest and the surface is still damp and elastic. It stretches instead of breaking, and you get a smooth, puffed, slightly glossy cookie with no crackle at all.

The length of the rest depends on the humidity in your kitchen. In a dry room, 25 to 30 minutes is enough. In an average kitchen, plan on 45 to 60 minutes. On a humid or rainy day it can take 90 minutes to 2 hours, and a fan on low across the trays or an oven with only the light on will shorten it. The test is simple: touch a ball with a fingertip. If it feels tacky or leaves sugar on your finger, wait. It should feel papery and dry.

The double pass in sugar sharpens the crack. Granulated sugar goes on first. Its coarse crystals pull moisture from the surface of the paste, dissolve into a thin syrup and then dry into a hard, glassy layer that is very brittle and breaks cleanly rather than tearing. The confectioners' sugar goes on top, and its fine powder, helped by the cornstarch it contains, stays visibly white. As the shell cracks, the golden interior shows through the white coat in sharp lines. Powdered sugar alone dissolves into the damp surface and gives a blurred, soft crack.

Texture and Moisture Control

The shell has three textures, and each depends on moisture. The rim should be crisp, the middle chewy and the center soft, which happens because the outside loses water first while the inside stays moist. Drying the almond flour before mixing gives the paste less water to lose, and the 325°F (165°C) oven dries the shell without browning it. A hotter oven colors the surface before the middle sets, and the cookie comes out hard and dry.

The egg white does the structural work. Whipped only to soft peaks, it sets into a tender web that holds the almond and sugar together without making the cookie cakey. There is no fat but the almonds' own, so the chew comes from sugar holding water in the paste.

The filling is the greater threat. Nutella is soft and full of oil, and a warm shell melts it, so the shells must be cool before they are filled. Over time, water migrates from the spread into the shell and softens it. This is why the sandwiches are best after a 30 minute rest, when the surface has bonded to the filling, and are still crisp in the first hours.

Professional Mise en Place

Most of the work here is waiting, so the order of the timeline matters more than speed. Organize the stations in advance and the cookies come together without stress, with only the filling and the dusting left for the end.

Equipment and tools

Hand mixer or stand mixer with a clean, grease free bowl
Two sheet pans, parchment and a wire rack large enough for all 24 shells
Digital scale, a fine sieve and a small piping bag or spoon
Two shallow bowls for the sugars and a bowl of water for damp hands

Prepared ahead

Almond flour dried and cooled, up to 1 day ahead
Shells baked and cooled, up to 3 days ahead, in an airtight tin
Hazelnuts toasted and chopped, and Nutella brought to room temperature
Confectioners' sugar sifted into its bowl so there are no lumps to spot the cookies

Service setup

Fill the cookies 30 minutes before serving
Dust with confectioners' sugar at the last moment
Keep the filled cookies at cool room temperature, away from the oven
Whipped cream or mascarpone chilled until the plates go out

Chef Tips

Weigh everything. Almond flour measured by cup varies by 20 percent depending on how it is packed, and a paste that is too loose will spread instead of holding its dome. The weights in the ingredient list are the ones to trust.

Use fine, blanched almond flour. Coarse or skin on flour gives a rough, dull shell and a duller crack, and a flour that smells oily or stale will taste of it in a cookie with only three ingredients.

If the paste feels too wet to roll, add one tablespoon of almond flour and chill it another 10 minutes. If it feels dry and crumbly, work in a few drops of beaten egg white.

Pipe the Nutella if you have a bag. It gives a neater edge, it keeps the shell from breaking under a heavy hand, and it lets you fill every cookie with the same amount.

Common Mistakes

Whipping the whites too stiff. The paste becomes dry and hard to fold, and the cookies bake hollow and crumbly. Stop at soft peaks, where the tip of the foam bends over.

Rolling too small. Tiny balls dry out and turn hard before the center can stay chewy. Keep to about 1 oz (17 g), and weigh the first few to train your eye.

Skipping the rest. Shells that go straight into the oven with a damp surface puff up smooth and shiny, with no crackle at all. Wait until the coat is papery to the touch.

Overbaking. A little color is fine, but a deep golden shell will be dry and hard by the next day and will taste toasted rather than of almond. Pull them at pale gold.

Filling warm shells. The Nutella melts into the crumb and slides out at the edge, and the pair will not stay together. Wait until they are completely cool to the touch.

Stacking or sealing them too early. Trapped steam softens the shells. Give freshly baked cookies at least 45 minutes on the rack before storing them, and never close the tin on warm cookies.

Wine Pairing

Moscato d'Asti DOCG: The Piedmontese answer, from the same hills as the hazelnut. Its low alcohol, gentle fizz and peach and orange blossom sweetness cleanse the palate after the rich Nutella. The bright acidity lifts the almond and keeps the filling from feeling heavy, so the finish is clean and you want another cookie. Serve it very cold.

Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG: A lightly sparkling red with rose petal and wild strawberry aromas. Its fruit and low tannin flatter chocolate without fighting it, and the red berry note against the toasted hazelnut is the classic Piedmontese pairing. Serve it well chilled, in a small flute.

Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG: A sweet red from dried grapes, with cherry, plum and cocoa notes that mirror the filling. It has enough acidity to stay fresh and enough body to stand up to chocolate. Pour a small glass, since the pairing is intense and a little goes a long way.

Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC: The Tuscan tradition for almond biscuits, and the reason cantucci are dipped in it. Its amber color, roasted nut, dried apricot and caramel flavors pick up the almond shell, while a brisk finish cuts through the sweetness of the spread.

Malvasia delle Lipari DOC: A golden Sicilian dessert wine with apricot, honey and orange peel. Its sweetness matches the sugar of the cookie, and the volcanic salinity on the finish keeps the pairing from turning cloying. It suits the almond side of the sandwich particularly well.

Storage & Reheating

Store the unfilled shells in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 5 days, with parchment between the layers. Filled sandwiches keep for up to 3 days in a sealed container at cool room temperature, and up to 5 days in the refrigerator, though the shells slowly soften and are best eaten within 2 days.

To freeze, wrap the unfilled shells in a single layer and then in a bag, for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 1 hour and fill them after. Filled cookies freeze for up to 1 month but lose some crispness.

To revive shells that have gone soft, heat them at 300°F (150°C) for 5 minutes on a sheet pan, cool them completely and only then fill. Bring refrigerated sandwiches to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.