Jammy amaretti biscuits

Ingredients

• 300g ground almonds
• 250g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 85g plain flour
• ½ tsp fine salt
• Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
• 3 tsp runny honey
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 3 medium egg whites
• Your choice of chopped nuts or seeds to roll the biscuits in
• Your choice of jams or marmalades for the thumbprints

Essential equipment

Two baking sheets; mine are aluminium and measure 38 x 32cm. Line with non-stick baking parchment.

Method

I inevitably end up with lots of jars with remnants of jams and marmalades. This is a great recipe for using them up and making something delicious at the same time. It’s also a great way of using up any remnants of nuts or seeds I have for that extra crunch. Based on the incredible Italian amaretti biscuit, they are just fab.

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/ 320°F/gas 4.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the honey, almond extract and egg whites, and mix to a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and leave in the fridge for at least an hour. It’s really important you do this: the dough will firm up and become easy to handle.

Divide the dough into three equal pieces.

Dust your hands with icing sugar and roll each piece of dough into a sausage shape about 3cm thick. Roll it in your choice of chopped nuts or seeds. Try different nuts or seeds for each sausage. Cut each sausage into 12 equal discs. Dip the exposed sides of each disc in icing sugar.

Keep your hands dusted in icing sugar and place the discs on the prepared baking sheet, 2–3cm apart. Press your thumb into the centre of each one to make an indent. Fill the indent with ¼ teaspoon of jam or marmalade.

As soon as you have a full tray, bake for 15–20 minutes until golden and risen. Repeat until you have used up all the dough.

Leave them to cool on the baking sheets. They will become crisp as they cool.

This recipe is from Bake it Great by Luis Troyano, published by Pavilion. Recipe photography by Clare Winfield.