Lemon Pistachio Amaretti
The easiest recipe in Nicola Lamb’s new book, Sift — plus a giveaway and some Black Friday deals!
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends, and have digested and recovered enough to read today’s newsletter, because it’s packed!
If you don’t already know about Nicola Lamb from the first time we collaborated back in July of 2022, click here to read that post, which includes her Basque Cheesecake recipe. It would be perfect for an upcoming holiday gathering, and it’s honestly the most perfect Basque cheesecake I’ve ever tasted.
But how does one arrive at baking perfection? Nicola’s Substack newsletter, Kitchen Projects (one of the most popular on this platform!) seeks to answer precisely that question, as does her brand new book, Sift.
Nicola’s original mission in her newsletter was to let readers in on the recipe development process as she noodled around with some very high-level baking endeavors (though there are plenty of simple ones, too).
In Kitchen Projects, Nicola shares with readers not just her successes, but also her failures, and there is a lot to be learned from her process. There is only one way to find out what will happen if you do X or Y when developing a recipe, especially a baking recipe, and that is to try it. And that’s exactly what she does.
As her readers, we are the lucky recipients of the results of these experiments, saving us all a lot of time and money! As Nicola learns about toasted flour or brioche or craquelin, we’re learning too. I can’t wait to take her Inverted Puff Pastry for a spin. There’s nothing better than flaky pastry, am I right? There's so many ways to use it, and that type of flexibility is exactly the point of this book
There’s a large front section that I promise you’ll be taking to bed with you that teaches us, in a scientific way that’s not at all dry, all about the ingredients and techniques that make the magic of baking happen. It also includes base recipes that can be mixed and matched, giving you the tools to create your own recipes, if you choose.
It’s not just science, though. There are 100 enticing bakes in the book that are ready to go if you’re not the type that wants a deeper understanding, you just want dessert. I should mention there are plenty of savory bakes, too!
When you’re ready to bake, Nicola has one question for you: How much time do you have? The recipes in the book are divided into three sections (an afternoon, a day, and a weekend), so you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.
Here are the recipes on my list for next time I have an afternoon: Tomato and Fennel Tarte Tatin, Flaky Cheese and Pickle Scones, and Orchard Turnovers. If I could invest a whole day, I’d go for the Ultimate Chocolate Cake, Parmesan and Tomato Linzer, or French Toast Cinnamon Buns (a gorgeous mashup). If I had a weekend— keep in mind many of these are mostly hands-off, but the kind of thing you’d want to attempt on a snowy weekend at home — I’d go for the 3-Day Focaccia, Cross-Laminated Galette Des Rois, or maybe Mocha Passionfruit Opera Cake (!).
I picked perhaps the simplest recipe in the book to share with you today, which is one of two variations included on the classic Italian amaretti cookie. This one is flavored with pistachios (in addition to the de rigueur almonds), lemon, and the surprise addition of coriander seeds, which seasoned the cookies beautifully.
These would be a great addition to any cookie lineup. They're delicious, they’re super-easy, and they keep very well. As a bonus, they’re gluten-free, too!
If you want a more traditional round shape for your amaretti, go for it, but I wanted to pinch mine the way Nicola did. Mine were a little soft when I formed them, I think because I did not grind my nuts quite finely enough. Before you add the egg whites to the nut/sugar mixture, pick up some of it up in your hand and inspect it closely. If it’s not very finely ground, process a little more. They baked up beautifully though, with that crisp and chewy texture these cookies are known for.
As Nicola says, she wrote the book she wished she had when she was starting out. I’m so grateful to her for putting this invaluable baking guide together for the rest of us.
Now, who wants a copy of Sift?
Enter to win Nicola’s book
For a chance to win a copy of Sift by Nicola Lamb, leave a comment on this post about something you’re excited to learn from the book, or a recipe you’d like to try. (Today’s giveaway is only open to paid subscribers, but next week’s will be open to all!) I’ll choose a winner at random at 10 a.m. EST on Monday, December 2, so leave your comment below by then. I will reply to the winner’s comment to let them know they’ve won. See the bottom of this post for the giveaway fine print1 and click below to leave your comment. Good luck!
Cookbook gift guide
It’s probably no surprise that I love to give (and get!) cookbooks as gifts. Along with Nicola’s new book, these are the top baking and baking-adjacent titles that should be on your holiday shopping list.
Salty Cheesy Herby Crispy Snackable Bakes by Jessie Sheehan — I love Jessie’s newsletter, Snackable Bakes, for its approachable, delicious sweets and, more recently, savory snacks. Her latest book delivers plenty of the latter! We’ll be featuring a recipe from Jessie’s book in a few weeks and giving a copy away, too!
Nature’s Candy by Camilla Wynne — Camilla’s candied fruits are simply gorgeous. Her cakes, studded with these jewel-like preserves, look like works of art. Even if you just want to dip a toe into the world of preserving with sugar, Camilla’s got you covered. We’ll be giving a copy away and sharing a really fun recipe next week!
Zoë Bakes Cookies by Zoë Francois — We covered Zoë’s new book in last week’s newsletter, and I shared her recipe for raisin biscuits. One reader mentioned in the comments that it would make a great holiday gift, and I totally agree! Like Nicola’s book, Zoë explores the why’s and wherefore’s of cookie baking to make you a better baker.
100 Afternoon Sweets by Sarah Kieffer — One-bowl baking projects and simple (yet delicious!) snacking cakes are some of the highlights of Sarah’s latest tome. This latest installment in her “100” series features everything but cookies.
Crumbs: Cookies and Sweets from Around the World by Ben Mims — This is my kind of travelogue: a geographically-arranged tour of cookies and sweets from more than 100 countries around the world, from Ben Mims. There is so much to learn from this encyclopedic journey. One thing is for sure, people the world over love cookies! Maybe cookies are the key to world peace?
Give the gift of Susanality
In my own biased opinion, a subscription to this newsletter makes a good holiday gift. Reading — and then making – the same recipes as someone you love can help you stay connected, even if you don’t live in the same town. With that in mind, I’m offering a Black Friday sale of 20 percent off both annual subscriptions and annual gift subscriptions.
As a reminder, a paid subscription to Susanality gets you an exclusive new recipe every Friday, plus full access to the archives, which includes 100+ recipes as well as video tutorials, the popular In the Rotation and Love Thy Larder series, the Cookie Index, and The Great Big Cookie Guide.
One other thing! For a limited time, Amazon is offering nearly half off on my latest book, Veg Forward. If you’d like to bundle a copy of that book with an annual subscription to Susanality for someone on your list, now’s the time to order. Thank you so much, as always, for supporting my work!
Chicken and Dumpling Soup
If you’re looking for something savory, here’s one of my favorite quick and healthy meals for this busy time of year. It’s easy to throw together on a weeknight if you keep frozen dumplings in the freezer at all times (and I recommend you do!).
Lemon Pistachio Amaretti
By Nicola Lamb