Biscotti all'Amarena / Cherry Amarena Biscuits

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Cherry Amarena Biscuits - Biscotti all’Amarena

Amarena biscuits are typical Neapolitan traditional sweets made with short crust pastry, filled mainly with Amarena (black cherries 🍒) along with its syrup, sponge cake and cocoa powder. However; there are other ingredients in the filling.

There is no pastry or coffee shops in Naples that do not have these delicious biscuits for sale, which both in terms of shape & taste (depending on what leftover sweets the bakers used) are famous and renowned.

INGREDIENTS: makes 8-10 big biscuits OR 16-20 small biscuits Oven temperature: 350 F (180 C)

DOUGH:
2 1/2 cups (250 g) A/P flour
3/4 cup (100 g) sugar
4 ozs. (100 g) softened unsalted butter 🧈
1 egg + 1 egg for egg wash (room temp)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. pane degli Angeli (OPTIONAL)

FILLING:
11 ozs. (300 g)finely crushed Amarena cherries 🍒
15 ozs. (400 g) leftover pound cake and or cookies
1 cup (100 g) mixture of roasted almonds & hazelnuts (reserve a tiny bit for topping)
1/2 cup (70 g) Amarena syrup
1 tbsp (14 g) rum
1 tsp. vanilla extract

GARNISH: crushed nuts and colourful sprinkles

DIRECTIONS: DOUGH
1) Pour sifted flour on your working surface. Make a well. Add sugar and butter in the centre and work them together with clean hands. Add the egg, baking powder & pane degli Angeli.

Combine and knead well till it forms a round dough. Divide the dough in half. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Place in fridge for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, let’s prepare the filling.

FILLING:
1) In a large mixing bowl, crumble your sponge cake and cookies. Add all the ingredients all together. Combine well with clean hands. Divide filling in half & roll in plastic wrap. Place in fridge, while rolling out the dough.

2) Roll out one pastry dough into a rectangular shape, large enough to cover your Amarena filling log.

3) Place your log in the centre, brush the edges of the dough with egg wash. Cover the log with the dough. (Patch if needed). Place seam side down.

4) Repeat procedure with the 2nd half of the dough and preheat your oven to 350 F (180 C).

5) Brush remaining egg wash over both dough logs (including the sides). Sprinkle one log with reserved crushed nuts and the other one with colourful sprinkles that reflect the Holiday or event.

6) With a sharp knife, cut the logs into about 1” (2.5 cm). For clean cut pieces, dip the blade in some flour.

7) Transfer them in a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden browned.

Cool before serving and enjoy !

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