Creative Cucina

A family friend recently shared her recipe for Amaretti cookies. They’re a chewy, almond flavored sweet cookie made from very few ingredients. The recipe has a slight twist to it–you let the cookies firm up overnight, uncovered, before baking.

Ingredients

• 1 cup blanched almonds
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
• Crystallized sugar
• Candied Cherries

Directions

1. Dry blanched almonds thoroughly by placing them in a warm oven (350 degrees) for 5 to 10 minutes.  Grind as fine as possible, until powdery, while still warm.
2. Combine ground almonds and sugar in a medium size bowl; add unbeaten egg whites and almond extract; beat thoroughly.
3. Divide dough into sections.  Add food coloring of your choice. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper leaving 1 inch between cookies. Wet fingers with water and smooth into rounds. Sprinkle on crystallized sugar and top off with candied cherries (cut in half).
4. **Let cookies stand overnight, uncovered until dough hardens**
5. Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.  Carefully remove cookies with spatula ( if cookie stiffens, put back into oven for a few seconds to soften.)  Store in an airtight container when thoroughly cooled.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• Colored Sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and shortening with electric mixer on medium high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping bowl.
2. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla, mixing until combined. Add flour and beat to combine.
3. Shape dough into 1 inch balls, roll in colored sugar. Place balls on parchment lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven 12 to 14 minutes, or until set. Do not let the edges brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute and transfer to wire rack.

Makes 48 cookies.

I made this birthday card for my mom using the Chic Boutique stamp set. When I gave it to her, she asked why I chose the bird cage image. I told her I don’t know why, I just did. It turns out she just bought a decorative bird cage that looks just like this one. I guess I know my mom’s taste!

The card base is pretty in pink, layered with a dark brown patterned acetate I got at a craft store. I stamped the bird cage on whisper white paper in chocolate chip ink, then colored it in using SU Markers in chocolate chip and pretty in pink. After stamping, I sprayed some Glimmer Mist I made using 70% Rubbing Alcohol and Frost Shimmer Paint. It doesn’t show up well in the picture but it makes the whisper white look just like SU’s Shimmery White Card stock.

I also sprayed the Pretty in Pink card stock and layered the white, chocolate chip textured, and pretty in pink card stock. Using the cropadile, I punched a hole at the top of the bird cage and added a Circle Rhinestone Brad in pink. Those layers are then adhered to the base using dimensionals.

The sentiment is from Warm Wishes, stamped in chocolate chip ink on whisper white (that I sprayed with Glimmer Mist) and trimmed out with my paper snips. That is also popped up on dimensionals.