Orange and ginger amaretti recipe by Justin Gellatly

The classic almond biscuit combined with the zest of orange and warmth of ginger

• The 20 best Christmas biscuit recipes – in full

A stunning crisp and chewy treat with the warming spice of ginger and juicy fresh zest. A perfect gift to take to Christmas parties, they also go well with espresso or a sherry or two.

Makes 18 snowy balls of joy
egg whites 2 (70g)
caster sugar 188g
ground almonds 300g
stem ginger 1 tbsp, chopped
ground ginger 1 tsp, plus 1 tsp extra for dusting
stem ginger syrup 1½ tsp
vanilla extract 1 tsp
oranges zest of 2
icing sugar 100g, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 160C fan/gas mark 4.

Place the egg whites in a bowl and hand whisk them until frothy, then add the sugar and whisk until soft peaks are formed. This will take a good few minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients (except the icing sugar and ground ginger for dusting) and mix with a spatula until incorporated.

Now cut the dough into 18 pieces, ensuring each weighs about 30g, then roll them into balls.

Sieve the icing sugar and extra ground ginger into a tray, mix together and place the balls in the tray. Roll them around, then leave them to sit for 10 minutes to absorb some of the icing sugar. Now carpet-bomb the balls with the icing-sugar mix, really packing it on.

Carefully place the sugared amaretti on a lined baking tray, giving them some space between each other as they will puff out a little.

Bake for 16 minutes until they’re cracked all over and golden brown on the cracked edges. Take them out and leave to cool a little before serving; or entirely, if they’re going to be a gift.

Justin Gellatly is the author of Bread, Cake, Doughnut, Pudding (Penguin, £25)

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