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Amaretti Cherry Ice Cream Sandwiches

Amaretti cherry ice cream sandwiches with crisp, chewy Italian amaretti cookies sandwiching dark cherry almond ice cream. The sweet-tart cherry filling and marzipan-like almond intensity in every bite makes this Italian dessert extra craveable.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
freezing 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the amaretti cookies
  • 2 cup almond flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • powdered sugar for dusting Use as needed for generously dusting before baking.
For the cherry almond ice cream
  • 0.5 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened Soften just enough to swirl and spread.
  • 1 cup dark cherry preserves or cherry jam
  • 0.5 tsp almond extract
  • 0.25 cup amaretto liqueur (optional)
  • crushed amaretti for rolling edges Crush extra cookies (or store-bought) for coating exposed ice cream edges.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the amaretti cookies
  1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper for easy release.
  2. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks, then beat in the granulated sugar until glossy. Keep mixing until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks thick and shiny.
  3. Fold in the almond flour, almond extract, and vanilla extract until a sticky dough forms. The dough should hold together but still look tacky.
  4. Roll the dough into 1.5-inch balls, dust generously in powdered sugar, and place them on the lined baking sheets. Leave space between each cookie for spreading.
  5. Flatten slightly and bake for 14-16 minutes until crinkled and just golden. Cool the cookies completely before assembling the sandwiches.
Make the cherry almond ice cream
  1. Swirl the cherry preserves, almond extract, and amaretto (if using) through the softened vanilla ice cream. Mix just until streaks are gone and the ice cream is evenly tinted.
  2. Sandwich the cherry almond ice cream between two amaretti cookies. Press gently so the filling reaches the edges.
  3. Roll the exposed ice cream edges in crushed amaretti and freeze at least 2 hours. Freeze until firm enough to slice or bite cleanly.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the amaretti cookies completely before assembly so the ice cream doesn’t melt and leak. Store sandwiches in an airtight container in the freezer up to 2 weeks; freeze works well for best texture. For a dietary swap, use no-sugar-added cherry preserves and a reduced-sugar vanilla ice cream to cut overall sweetness while keeping the almond-cherry flavor balance.