Each December we co-host a carol singing party. I like to try new recipes for the party, and always make several savory things and quite a few sweets. This year I tried amaretti, Italian crunchy-chewy almond cookies. Until now, I thought amaretti had to come out of handsome red rectangular cans.

I used a recipe in an elegant old cookie cookbook I have had for at least 15 years. It was a lot like this one. Add some almond extract in addition to the Amaretto liqueur. Caster sugar is superfine; make your own by grinding cane sugar for 30 seconds or so in a blender at high speed.

I see many recipes for amaretti on the web. They vary widely. How bad can a cookie be, though, if it is made of ground almonds, sugar, and rich almond flavorings? Avoid the ones with flour. T’aint right!