Soft almond biscuits (Amaretti morbidi)

1. Preheat the oven to 170 °C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. In a bowl, mix the ground almonds with the sugar.

3. Beat the egg whites with a fork just until frothy (no need for stiff peaks), add them to the almond mixture with the almond extract and mix by hand or with a spoon into a sticky, shapeable paste.

4. With wet hands, shape walnut-sized balls and roll each one generously in icing sugar.

5. Place them on the tray 3 cm apart and press the tops down slightly with two fingers.

6. Bake for 13-15 minutes until the surface cracks and the bottoms are lightly golden but they're still soft inside; let them cool on the tray.

Tip: Biscuits from Liguria and Piedmont that are naturally gluten-free; the secret of softness is not to overbake them - they stay soft for a week in an airtight container, and they're great with coffee or as an ingredient in bonet and stuffed peaches.