History tells us that these sweets made with sugar, egg white, sweet and bitter almonds were first created in the beginning of the 19th century in this hilly village located in the hinterland between Liguria and Piedmont, where it was the habit of farmers to plant almond trees near their houses.
It seems that since these trees produce large quantities of almonds, which far exceeded the annual family need, some locals decided to try to make some dry long lasting pastry and so the Amaretti di Sassello were born.
Some other sources say their origin goes back to the Middle Ages or better that the villagers used a recipe which had been spreading throughout Europe from the 15th century then adapted to make this version of the almond sweets.
By doing some research indeed, we do find some similar pastries looking at some French recipes with similar ingredients and textures.
Sassello was the first town in the region and in Italy though to take advantage in this way of the abundance of the almonds here produced and Sassello’s amaretto differs from other types of amaretti produced in other regions of Italy, for instance, Saronno’s amaretto is crunchier and soaked in the liqueur bearing the same name, while Sassello’s amaretto is softer and more similar to a pastry than a hard biscuit.
Sassello is a cute and picturesque town, very popular in the summer for its hiking trails, picnic areas and for its proximity to a very nice swimmable river.
In my opinion, spring and autumn are the best times to visit it, also for the interesting nature walks that can be done starting from the town center.
It’s famous for the many restaurants offering mushroom-only menus (when in season) and many people come here to have a coffee and buy just a kilo of amaretti to go.
Although the typical amaretti come in the classic almond flavor, nowadays there are many other flavors available in the shops.
You can find all or some of the following flavors at one of the 4 or 5 pastry shops and cafés where amaretti are on sale around the village: lemon, orange, vanilla, coffee, chocolate, strawberry, coconut and recently I have even seen a chocolate covered version available!
Maybe they won’t come out as perfect as the ones in the shop (especially for the shape) but they are quite easy to make at home too and perfect for a small gift: you can just put them in some candy bags and decorate them with a bow. They make a good present as they last for several weeks.
Ingredients:
200g peeled almonds
50gr bitter almonds
100g granulated sugar
1 egg white
Some powdered sugar
Preparation:
Chop the almonds and the bitter almonds and put them in a mixer to crush the nuts and make an almond flour together with the sugar.
Whip the egg whites until stiff and gently add them to the almond flour.
As a result, you will get a sticky mixture which you will shape into balls of 5 grams each, using your fingers moistened with water.
Roll the balls in some powdered sugar using a fine mesh strainer and let them rest overnight in the fridge.
The next day bake them in the oven at 150° C for about half an hour or until golden.
You can store them cooled in a glass jar and they will keep fresh for a few weeks.
Homemade Amaretti
