Soft Amaretti Orange

Soft Orange Amaretti with candied orange peel by Virginia from Sassello

In Soft Orange Amaretti, the tart almond dough of Amaretti Virginia meets candied orange paste, which consists of almost 50% orange peel. These soft amaretti from Sassello in Liguria contain no flour and come in a round, decorative gift tin containing 140g.

Soft Orange Amaretti are soft almond macaroons with candied orange by Amaretti Virginia from Sassello in Liguria. The dough consists mainly of fine apricot kernels, complemented by almonds and 16% candied orange paste with a 49% peel content. The amaretti have a paper-thin, finely cracked crust on the outside, while remaining soft and moist on the inside – the orange adds a sunny, slightly tart note to the almond aroma.

Almond-tart and bittersweet orange

The Soft Orange Amaretti taste of bitter almond and candied orange peel, sweet with that fine tartness that characterizes high-quality candied orange.

The center is soft and slightly sticky, with the surface dusted in powdered sugar. The scent of almond and orange rises as soon as you open the tin. Moist, sunny, aromatic – when paired with an espresso after a meal, the roasted aroma and fruit blend together effortlessly. The orange peel keeps the sweetness in check.

The bitter almond note comes primarily from apricot kernels, which Italian bakers call "armelline" and have used for amaretti since time immemorial. These soft macaroons hold their own easily alongside a piece of dark chocolate. If you like, dip a piece briefly into your espresso, as many do in Liguria. Compared to the lemon variety, the orange aroma is darker and warmer, with a rounder sweetness.

Virginia – named after a cigar in a tavern

The amaretti owe their name to a guest who was smoking a Virginia cigar in Gertrude Rossi's tavern in Sassello.

Gertrude had been serving her soft amaretti there as a dessert since 1860. The name of the cigar stuck to both the recipe and the factory. As early as 1892, the amaretti won their first medals at the Colombiadi in Genoa. To this day, the family recipe is still baked in Sassello. The orange peel is matured in syrup before being added to the dough as a paste.

The dough itself is made from 46% apricot kernels with no flour at all, bound only with egg white. This makes the Amaretti soffici all'Arancia, as the orange variety is called in the original, naturally gluten-free and lactose-free. Each piece is placed and baked individually until the surface develops its typical fine cracks. If you know the soft amaretti with lemon, you will find their warmer, tarter sister here.

For the coffee table in a decorative tin

The decorative metal tin makes the Soft Orange Amaretti a perfect gift that lives on in the kitchen cupboard long after the last macaroon is gone.

For dessert, crumble the amaretti over vanilla ice cream or a mascarpone cream. In Liguria and Piedmont, amaretti crumbs are traditionally used to fill halved baked peaches. A glass of Vin Santo or Moscato d'Asti pairs just as well with the orange note as a cup of coffee in the afternoon.

Candied orange peel is right at home in Christmas baking. Thus, the tin is as suited for the Advent season as it is for a summer balcony table. Further soft amaretti from Amaretti Virginia can be found right next door. Stored in a cool, dry place, the macaroons remain moist for about eleven months – though the tin rarely stays full for that long.