Amaretti fresh from the oven. The editors of The Gourmet Cookie Book selected a light almond cookie as their favorite of those published in 1941. The book contains one from each year, 1941-2009, the duration of the Magazine's publication. This one has a recipe nearly identical to an amaretti recipe I have, the main exception being that my amaretti have no flour, so are celiac-friendly. Amaretti are best eaten as soon as they emerge from the oven - crisp on the outside, and chewy with the egg-white and almond paste mixture on the inside. The macaroon recipe, in contrast, says these are best a few days later, kept in a sealed container. I made the sacrifice and taste-tested these at two intervals. Right off the parchment, the macaroons have the same texture as amaretti, and the flour might extend the recipe a bit farther, as almond paste is the most expensive ingredient. Two days later, they are very chewy, the same consistency throughout, and the last bits in my mouth...
I began this blog when my mother was ill and needed enough of my attention that I could not concentrate on longer-form works I wanted to write. I set those aside to distract myself with cookie-making and this blog. Please find my new blog (2020) entitled "Time NOT Lost" at karenbrattesani.blogspot.com, where I explore the behavior I see around me -- both my own and that of others -- and what it says about our changing culture during the coronavirus pandemic. And, I hope, beyond.