In Search of Lost Time: Amaretto Madeleines alla Romana
- Nov 8, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 6
Liquor : Digestif
👩🍳- Jump to recipe, but fair warning: you’ll miss all my brilliantly unnecessary (and deeply entertaining) ranting.
In 1997, I truly grasped the meaning of the saying, All roads lead to Rome, when my younger sister and I decided to exchange our Hungarian Christmas traditions for a dose of holiday magic in the captivating Italian capital. Just a night-time train ride away from Switzerland, where we were both living at the time, we embarked on this adventure. As an art history and archaeology student, I was particularly excited to immerse myself in Rome's wealth of artistic treasures. To be honest, I may have gotten a bit carried away with the cultural experiences during our few days there, so much so that by the third day, my sister teared up by the banks of the Tiber! It turns out that the overwhelming beauty of the sights and sensations can turn a sister into a very emotional tourist.
On Christmas Eve, we found ourselves in a corner store where we decided to buy a large bottle of Amaretto liqueur. After all, as the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, so why not embrace our inner Italian? Given our limited understanding of Italian culture at the time, it seemed like a fantastic idea, especially after days filled with exploration and a cocktail of homesickness and fatigue. Plus, let's be honest, we had become quite the magnets for Italian boys. Picture us as a slightly less glamorous version of Swedish actress Anita Ekberg, being pursued by Marcello Mastroianni while splashing around in the Trevi Fountain. Every glance from a charming local felt like a nod to our own version of La Dolce Vita! In retrospect, it all makes perfect sense, especially after discovering through genetic testing that we have significant Scandinavian ancestry as well!
As we started sipping the Amaretto right there on the street, I felt like I had crossed the Rubicon and reached a point of no return. To put it mildly, I overindulged and ended up quite intoxicated. I don't remember much from the rest of that evening, but for the next decade, I couldn't even stand the smell of Amaretto, Amaretto cookies, or Amaretto ice cream, well, you get the picture. Nonetheless, I realized: Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is my tolerance for this lovely almond liqueur. Now, I can enjoy it again, in moderation, of course, because we all know how that story ends!
Amaretto is a wonderfully versatile liqueur, easy to enjoy in all sorts of ways. With its sweet, almond-tinged flavour, it feels a bit like dessert in a glass: comforting, familiar, and gently indulgent.
Some might say sipping it is like fiddling while Rome burns, but that seems a touch dramatic. After all, taking a quiet moment to enjoy something simple can be its own kind of balance. And if anything does catch fire, it’s likely because someone got a little too ambitious in the kitchen after a couple of glasses.
Instead, Amaretto provides a delightful distraction from life’s turmoil, a soothing reminder that sometimes all we can do is clink our glasses and vibe politely through the apocalypse.
So please, pass the Amaretto. I intend to savour each delicious sip while everything around me simmers down. Cheers!
And yes, I managed to work in all the Rome commonplaces. Bravissimo!
liquor or liqueur
Just to clarify, "liquor" is a general term that refers to distilled alcoholic beverages such as vodka, rum, and whiskey. In contrast, "liqueur" is a specific type of liquor that is sweetened and flavoured with various ingredients, including fruits, herbs, or spices; an example of this is Amaretto liqueur. Therefore, all liqueurs are liquors, but not all liquors are liqueurs.
Amaretto - A Sweet Delight with a Nutty Twist
Amaretto is a sweet Italian liqueur that feels like a cozy hug in a glass. Its almond-flavoured goodness makes it perfect for sipping on its own or for adding a little magic to your favourite cocktails and desserts. And before you start picturing endless almond orchards, here’s the twist: many brands actually make amaretto from apricot pits, peach stones, or other stone fruit kernels. It’s a nutty little riddle wrapped in a sweet package!
The name “amaretto” comes from the Italian diminutive of amaro, meaning “bitter” - a nod to the subtle bitter notes that play alongside the sweetness.
Popular Amaretto Brands
Italy is home to hundreds of amaretto brands, each with its own flavour and story:
Disaronno Originale – The superstar of the amaretto world, known for its sweet, nutty flavour with hints of marzipan, vanilla, and a whisper of citrus. And yes, that iconic square bottle is impossible to miss.
Lazzaroni – Around since 1851, Lazzaroni infuses its liqueur with their famous amaretti cookies, giving it a warm, baked-almond character.
Gozio Amaretto – Hailing from Distillerie Franciacorta, this liqueur blends bitter almonds sourced from four continents, creating a truly international flavour.
Luxardo – A family-owned gem that balances essential oils from cherries, peaches, and apricot pits with top-quality almonds for a beautifully complex taste.
Classic Amaretto Cocktails
Amaretto pairs wonderfully with a wide range of ingredients, making it perfect for a quiet night in or a lively evening with friends:
Amaretto Sour – The classic sweet-and-sour favourite, mixing amaretto with lemon juice. Modern twists add bourbon for warmth and egg white for froth, garnished with a cherry and orange slice.
Godfather – Simple and elegant, just amaretto and Scotch or bourbon. It’s a drink with a cinematic, film-noir vibe.
French Connection – Equal parts amaretto and cognac for a smooth, sophisticated sip, like a French kiss for your taste buds.
Toasted Almond – Dessert in a glass! Combine amaretto, coffee liqueur, and cream for a rich, dreamy treat.
How to Enjoy Amaretto?
Whether sipping it neat, mixing it in a cocktail, or adding it to coffee or desserts, amaretto brings a little almond-infused joy to any moment:
Neat or on the Rocks – Smooth enough to enjoy straight or over ice, perfect as an after-dinner treat.
In Coffee – Add a shot to your morning brew for an almond-kissed pick-me-up.
In Desserts – The fairy godmother of sweets! A splash of amaretto can transform tiramisu, ice cream, or whipped cream into a flavourful showstopper.
Amaretto is versatile, comforting, and endlessly enjoyable, one nutty, sweet sip at a time.
Amaretto Madeleines
For this recipe, I’ve chosen to make madeleines, inspired by the iconic moment in Marcel Proust’s À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time), where the narrator tastes a madeleine dipped in tea, and is suddenly swept away by a flood of long-forgotten childhood memories.
This idea of involuntary memory really speaks to me. Every time I sip Amaretto, I’m transported back to those carefree days with my sorella in Rome, reminded to savour life’s fleeting moments and embrace the little joys before they slip away.
We are making 24 madeleines in total using two 12-Madeleine mould pans.
Ingredients
3/4 cup / 100 grams flour (unbleached, all-purpose)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup / 65 grams sugar
1/2 cup / 110 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1/4 cup / 60 ml Amaretto liquor
Optional Add-on: dried cherries, finely chopped
Instructions
If you are using dried cherries, soak them in the Amaretto for at least 10-20 minutes.
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set this mixture aside.
In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs, sugar and the Amaretto (make sure to strain it if you're using soaked cherries) for about 5 minutes or until the mixture forms a ribbon when you lift the beater. If you soaked those cherries, this is the perfect moment to fold them in!
Gently fold in the dry ingredients with a whisk, followed by the butter in the same manner.
Cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F), positioning the rack in the middle. Grease and flour a two madeleine pans, then set it aside.
Fill each cavity of the pan three-quarters full with batter.
Typically, you can fit the two trays together in a standard oven. If not, bake them one after the other for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the madeleines are lightly golden brown.
Once baked, remove them from the pan and let them cool completely on a wire rack. Serve with powdered sugar, if desired.
Happy sipping and savouring!
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