I’ve been making a version of this amaretti cookie for years when I worked at a small cafe here in Toronto as a baker. It’s one of the easiest and one of my favourite recipes to make as it’s a breeze to whip together if you have toasted nuts on hand. It’s won some high praise and compliments from many coworkers and patrons of the cafe alike, and I am so overjoyed by that.

The only kicker is that I haven’t actually tasted the original version before because I am allergic to almonds! This was such an interesting challenge, because at the cafe, when developing some new recipes, I wanted to use ingredients we’ve already had in the kitchen as we had limited pantry space available. And one ingredient we always purchased were a huge box of almonds for a tasty granola, biscotti, and nothing more. This was a perfect opportunity to play around with a recipe from a (now closed) Italian restaurant - the amaretti cookie.

Fast forward to today, revisiting and revising this recipe yet again, infusing my own product, this nutty and roasty cookie is a such a sugary delight and pairs so well with a hot cup of tea. There are a few things this updated version accomplishes:

1. It incorporates hojicha powder which is nutty in nature

2. I replace almonds with walnuts so that it makes it safe for me to eat, as well as complement the roasty hojicha notes really well.

3. Using maple syrup and vanilla to further complement the flavours of the hojicha powder

4. Aquafaba is the binding agent, replacing the traditional egg whites, making this completely vegan!

Check out the recipe below! And click here to shop for Hojicha Powder!

Hojicha Amaretti Cookies (Gluten Free & Vegan)

Yield: 16 cookies

250g Walnuts, toasted

100g Granulated Sugar

7g Hojicha Powder 

1g Salt

45g Aquafaba (Canned chickpea liquid)

10g Maple Syrup

2g Vanilla

30g Powdered Sugar, for rolling

Directions

Combine walnuts, granulated sugar, hojicha powder and salt in a food processor. Process until walnuts are fine. Do not over-process as the walnuts may turn into a nut butter. Add chickpea liquid, maple syrup and vanilla slowly as the processor is running. When dough begins to clump and combine into a ball and is sticky to the touch, remove from the food processor. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and rest in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F

Weigh cookies at 25g, and roll balls in icing sugar. Place cookies on a baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 20 minutes.