Crisp, not to say hard, macaroon-like biscuit (US: cookie) made from ground apricot kernels or ground sweet and bitter almonds and stiffly whipped egg whites, with a strong flavour of almonds. They can also be added to savoury dishes. For the British part of the fun of amaretti is not simply the delectable biscuit but, at the end of a meal, flattening out the delicate papers in which they are traditionally wrapped, rolling them into a funnel, lighting the top and watching them sail up to the ceiling. The manufacturers of amaretti may be unaware that British sales are decidely increased by this activity, so they should be judicious about any proposed changes to the wrappers. We have heard rumours of wax paper which fill us with misery.
