Anna’s Apricot Amaretti

Photo by Anna Buss

Photo by Anna Buss

By Anna Buss, Culinary Coordinator at Frog Hollow Farm

Makes 20 cookies

For the apricots
¾ cup finely chopped dried apricots
1 lemon
1 teaspoon sugar
For the batter
2 cups almond flour
¾ cup sugar
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg whites (room temperature)
For dusting
½ cup sugar
½ cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place the chopped dried apricots in a small mixing bowl. Zest the lemon onto a cutting board. (You should have about 1 tablespoon zest.) Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar and mince zest, then scatter it over the apricots. Juice the lemon over the apricots. (You should get about 2 tablespoons juice from the lemon.) Stir together and set aside. (This can be done the day before to left to sit overnight.)

Combine almond flour, sugar, and powdered sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined. Add the almond and vanilla extracts and then add the egg whites slowly as you pulse for about 1 minute. Scrape the batter into a mixing bowl and fold in the prepared apricots.

Place the sugars for dusting in two separate saucers. Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, scoop up 1 tablespoon of dough, then push it off the scoop into the granulated sugar and roll to coat.Then roll that cookie in the powdered sugar. (The granulated sugar will prevent the powdered sugar from absorbing into the cookie.) Place onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet ½-inch apart. Repeat until you have used all the dough. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan at 15 minutes for even baking. Remove from the oven when the cookies are done and place cookies on a rack to cool. You know they are done when there are tiny cracks in the surface. The exterior will be golden in color with a firm texture. The inside will be chewy and soft.