2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Amaretto (Amaretto) is italian sweet liqueur, which is prepared from apricots or almonds, and in some cases from both. Sometimes cherries and peaches are added to it. Its name comes from the Italian word amaro, which means bitter.
However, the sweeteners in the drink make the bitterness tolerable. The liqueur tastes slightly bitter and should not be confused with another popular Italian drink - amaro, which is made from herbs and its bitter taste is much stronger.
History of the amaretto
In 1525, the church in the Italian city of Sarono hired one of Leonardo da Vinci's students, Bernardino Luini, to paint one of their walls. The Christian church was named after the Virgin Mary and it was necessary for Luini to portray the Mother of God.
He sought a suitable model and inspiration until he met a young girl - the owner of an inn, who became his muse and, according to most versions - and mistress.
After he painted it, the young woman wanted to give him a present out of gratitude. As she did not have great financial means, as a reward for the artist she created a sweet liqueur with the taste of almonds that grew in her garden.
Preparation of amaretto
The main thing in the preparation of almond liqueur is the control of the sugar in it. At the end of cooking, each Amaretto should have an almond aroma and a slightly bitter taste.
To prepare it at home you will need the nuts of 2 kg of apricots - necessarily raw, not baked or dried, 500 milliliters of vodka, 1 teaspoon of melted sugar with a little water, 1 tablespoon of coconut shavings, the peel of a quarter lemon, vanilla stick and 2 tablespoons glycerin.
All ingredients except glycerin are poured into a glass bottle. Shake well and leave in the sun for 1 month. The sunnier the place, the more fragrant the liqueur will become and its color - amber.
After a month, the liquid in the bottle is filtered with a fine strainer, and finally glycerin is added, which will soften the taste of the liqueur.
Composition of amaretto
50 grams Amaretto contains 110 calories, 17 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of sugar. The liqueur does not contain fat, protein, fiber, cholesterol or sodium.
Due to the low content of vitamins and minerals in alcohol, but also due to the lack of ingredients that actually lead to overweight, its content is classified as so-called. empty calories - calories with low nutritional value, but with a high number.
In addition, 1 tablespoon of Amaretto adds 35 calories and 5 grams of carbohydrates to the dish. A larger quantity like half a cup carries 240 calories and 24 grams of carbohydrates.
Cooking with amaretto
The liqueur can be widely used in cooking, including for ice cream cakes with almonds and chocolate, cheesecake, cakes and pies. It is used to make tiramisu, which gives the cake its typical aroma.
All desserts with the liqueur have an almond hue and greater juiciness, and go well with vanilla, cream, ice cream and fruit.
Amaretto can also be added to more spicy chicken recipes, as well as to pancake products. The liqueur can be added to fish sauces and vegetable salads, as well as to whipped cream.
Amaretto can be mixed and with drinks such as coffee, tea, cola, orange juice or sparkling wine such as champagne, making them taste much better.
Serving the amaretto
The liqueur can be served clean or with ice. Its alcohol content is between 24 and 28%. As the word Amaretto often associated with the Italian word amore, which means love, the drink is very much ordered by couples who are on a romantic date.
It is suitable to be served before or after dinner with an aperitif or dessert because of its strong aroma. Amaretto celebrates its official holiday every year on April 19, when his fans have another occasion to enjoy the drink.
Storage and selection of amaretto
Almond-flavored liqueur should be stored at room temperature in a tightly closed bottle. If kept in too cool a place, such as a refrigerator, it will lose its typical color and become more cloudy. Once opened, the bottle should be stored with the cap closed so that the aroma of the drink does not change.
There are dozens of varieties of liqueur on the market, but the most emblematic are Amaretto brands di Sachira, Amareto Markati and Amareto Disarono, which have a centuries-old history of production.
The bottles in which they are sold are rectangular and have a label certifying their quality. The price of a bottle of 700 milliliters is between 12 and 30 levs, depending on the type.
Recommended:
Ideas For Amaretto Desserts
You may have guessed that Amareto is an Italian word, but if you don't know Italian, we'll tell you that it comes from amaro, which means "bitter". And it makes perfect sense that you can talk about desserts with something bitter. However, this is about the famous Italian liqueur Amaretto which has enough sweeteners in it to turn into anything but a bitter drink.
