Crunchy Italian Amaretti Cookies

"As the legend goes, an 18th century cardinal from Milan went to visit the town of Saronno in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. A couple who owned a small bakery there wanted to celebrate his visit with a special pastry, but all they had were apricot kernels, sugar, and egg whites. This lack proved serendipitous, since what they created with their scant ingredients came to be known as the now beloved amaretti cookies. The details of this cookie’s exact origins may be debatable, but what we do know for certain is that Trader Joe’s Crunchy Italian Amaretti Cookies are coming to your neighborhood store this holiday season! Like the cookies baked by those humble Saronno bakers, our Amaretti are also crafted in Italy and made simply with just three ingredients: sugar, apricot kernels, and egg white. They have a crunchy texture and distinctive flavor that is sweet, with a faint, almond-like bitterness. (The Italian word amaro from which these cookies derive their name literally means “bitter.”) Each Cookie is sprinkled all over with coarse pearl sugar, individually wrapped in decorative paper, and neatly packed into a giftable box that is decorated with an elegant botanical print featuring red, pink, and lavender blooms. Our Italian Amaretti are delicious dipped in espresso drinks. They can easily be crumbled to sprinkle atop fresh fruit, or yogurt. And if you’re inspired by those small-town bakers in Saronno, maybe you’ll try crushing up some Amaretti and mixing the crumbs with sugar and melted butter to make a crust for your homemade cheesecake or custard pie. Then share the sweet result with your dinner party guests—or with some honored visitor who’s in town for the holidays!"