CHOCOLATE AMARETTI

Unlike the hard packet amaretti that are flown in from Italy and last forever, these chocolatey, chewy ones will only last for a week or so. They taste so good, we’re sure they’ll be eaten before the week is out.

This recipe will give you more chocolate sauce than you actually need for these biscuits — but our experience with chocolate sauce is that you can never have too much! It will keep in the fridge for 6 months. And remember, the better the cocoa, the better the chocolate sauce…

Makes 60

4 egg whites

250 g (9 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) almond meal

15 g (½ oz) baking powder

150 g (5½ oz) chocolate sauce (see below)

50 g (1¾ oz) dark chocolate (55% cocoa), melted

icing sugar mixture, sifted, for rolling

CHOCOLATE SAUCE

200 ml (7 fl oz) water

360 g (12¾ oz) liquid glucose

270 g (9½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar

70 g (2½ oz) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

To make the chocolate sauce, put the water, glucose and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring to combine. Add the cocoa powder and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Put the egg whites, sugar and vanilla seeds in a large stainless steel bowl and whisk until frothy. Combine the almond meal and baking powder in a bowl, add to the egg white mixture and stir to combine. Add the chocolate sauce and melted chocolate and stir to combine.

Leave the mixture in the freezer for 3 hours, or overnight. (Alternatively, the uncooked mixture will keep covered in the freezer for about 12 weeks.)

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Roll the mixture into balls the size of walnuts – about 10 g (¼ oz) each. Roll the balls in icing sugar, then place evenly on the baking tray, about 3 cm (1¼ inch) apart.

Bake for 10 minutes, turning the tray once, until nicely browned. Allow to cool on the tray.

The amaretti will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.