“The Amaretti my great-grandmother Mary…”

The recipe : “The Amaretti Abruzzo”

di Claudia Marcucci

People and their stories ... popular kitchen

It was Christmas Eve 1998, and like every year my parents that evening with my grandparents went to Mass in the church of San Rocco Atessa. I, as usual, I remained with my great-grandparents Mary and Nicholas.

Like all children waited impatiently midnight for the arrival of Santa Claus. In the meantime I was helping my great-grandmother Mary in the preparation of a trick that tradition in our family was prepared the night before.  We would have then eaten during the opening of presents for us children accompanying him to a glass of milk, and for the older ones with a good glass of wine.

The grandmother began to pull out of the fridge the preparation made with almonds, sugar well mixed with the clear egg,  then held at rest for three hours. With the dough grandmother told me to make balls of average size, after that she rested on a greased baking sheet at 150 degrees for infornandole 30 minutes.

While the macaroons cuocendosi in oven gave off an intense perfume that intoxicated,  Grandma told me that it was essential to prepare this recipe for her, because her back to his youth. When I asked in amazement why this tradition, her with tears in my eyes watching my grandfather told me :

“It 'has become a tradition for the Christmas Eve 1944 while making this cake for your grandmother Etta, I heard a knock at the front door and went to open…  At that moment, after a year and a half I was able to embrace the man in my life that was left for the war and returned home safe and sound to his family. It 'was the most beautiful emotion of my life ... And' there in my mind, as a souvenir photo. Every time I smell this sweet,  memory takes me back to that emotion…”

This is the last memory I have of my great-grandmother who left us for good a few months later ...

The Amaretti my great-grandmother Mary

Ingredients:

● 1 kg of sweet almonds, peeled and finely chopped

● 1 kg di zucchero,

● 10 clear egg whisk

Preparation:

Combine almonds and sugar mix well with the clear.

Allow to stand for three hours

Sprinkle the work surface with flour and sugar in equal amounts by placing the dough

Forming the macaroons placing them on a greased baking sheet and bake at 150 degrees for thirty minutes

Combine dessert wines of great scents as Erbaluce Caluso Passito, Loazzolo Wine from Piedmont, Vino Santo Trentino, Tuscan Vin Santo, Passito di Pantelleria or Lipari.