Black cherry cookies
- Vegetarian
- Energy Kcal 708
- Carbohydrates g 119.4
- of which sugars g 72.2
- Protein g 12.5
- Fats g 20.1
- of which saturated fat g 10.44
- Fiber g 3.3
- Cholesterol mg 241
- Sodium mg 179
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Prep time: 1 h 30 min
- Cook time: 45 min
- Serving: 9
- Cost: Average
- Note plus resting and cooling times
PRESENTATION
Amarena cookies are seriously a true favorite in Naples. They blend the flavors of pan di Spagna, cocoa and loads of sour cherry jam into something really sweet and tender. And here's the thing—in Campania, people use leftover sponge cake or scraps from other cakes for the filling—which just shows how resourceful Southern Italian bakers really are. Each bite of these Italian cherry cookies gives you a soft, almost moist center packed with amarena jam, all wrapped in flaky shortcrust pastry. Plus, it gets brushed with a shiny glaze. Pretty simple.
You'll see these cookies lined up in pastry shop windows across Napoli, the amarena cookies showing off their deep cocoa swirls and bits of tangy cherry peeking through. Folks here love using what they’ve got in the kitchen—honestly, these treats are all about getting every bit of flavor from leftover cake. It turns into something that feels super special and totally Neapolitan.
In local cafés, amarena cherry cookies make a classic pairing with strong coffee, and the mix of crispy pastry and rich filling keeps people coming back. Really, it's perfect. Unlike almond flour cookies or modern cherry-filled ones, these bring that old-school, homey vibe straight from the heart of Campania. Some families toss in a little pandoro around the holidays, which is great, while others stick with basic sponge cake. But, you know, the amarena cherries are always front and center.
The combination of cocoa and sour cherry gives the filling a rich, almost decadent taste that stands out from other Italian dessert recipes. You end up with cookies that are a bit golden on the outside. Really nice. But when you bite in, the center is lush with fruity, chocolatey goodness. People in Naples take real pride in their traditions, so every bakery has its own spin. But, for sure, the welcoming spirit and love for these amarena cookies never change.
They’re not just a sweet treat—they’re a little piece of Neapolitan hospitality and history, ready to share with anyone who stops by. These cookies are a nod to the bright culinary culture of Southern Italy. Every bite is a celebration of flavor and tradition. No question.
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INGREDIENTS
- for the 22 cm sponge cake
- Eggs 5.5 oz (155 g) - (about 3 eggs)
- Type 00 flour 0.4 cup (50 g)
- Cornstarch 3 ⅛ tbsp (25 g)
- Sugar 5 ½ tbsp (70 g)
- for the shortcrust pastry
- Type 00 flour 3 cups (400 g)
- Butter 0.67 cup (150 g)
- Sugar ¾ cup (150 g)
- Egg yolks 3 ½ tbsp (50 g) - (about 3)
- Egg whites 1.2 oz (35 g) - (about 1)
- Fine salt 1 pinch
- for the filling
- Black cherry jam 1 cup (300 g)
- Pan di Spagna (Sponge cake) 7 oz (200 g)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tbsp (30 g)
- Egg yolks 1 tbsp (14 g) - (about 1)
- for the glaze
- Powdered sugar 1 ¼ cup (150 g)
- Egg whites 2 ½ tbsp (35 g) - (about 1)
- Lemon juice 1 tsp
- for decoration
- Black cherry jam 1 tbsp (15 g)
To prepare the 22 cm sponge cake
To prepare the black cherry cookies, first, make the Sponge cake. Pour the eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer. Start working them with the whisk and add the sugar 1. Whip the mixture until it becomes fluffy and foamy 2. It will take about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, butter and flour a 9-inch pan. When the eggs are well whipped, remove the bowl from the mixer and sift the cornstarch 3 directly into it.
Then sift in the flour 4. Mix with a spatula from the bottom up 5 with very gentle movements so as not to deflate the mixture. Once you have obtained a uniform batter 6
pour it into the pan 7 and bake in a preheated static oven at 355°F for 25 minutes in the central rack. Always do the toothpick test before taking the cake out of the oven. Once cooked, remove the sponge cake from the oven 8, and carefully unmold it immediately, letting it cool completely on a wire rack 9.
To prepare the shortcrust pastry
While the sponge cake is cooling, make the shortcrust pastry. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the diced butter and sugar 1. Work everything until you get a creamy mixture 2, then add the egg white 3 and wait until it is completely absorbed,
before adding the yolks 4. Work for another couple of minutes until they are completely absorbed. Still with the mixer running at moderate speed, add the flour 5 and salt 6.
Work until you get a homogeneous mixture 7. At this point, transfer it to a work surface, shape it into a disk 8 and wrap it in plastic wrap 9. Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
To prepare the filling
When the sponge cake is completely cold and the shortcrust pastry is almost firm in the refrigerator, you can start preparing the filling. Crumble the sponge cake into a bowl (1-2), you will need 200 grams. Then add the yolk 3,
the cocoa 4, and the black cherry jam 5. Knead everything with your hands 6
until you get a homogeneous and soft mixture 7. Transfer it onto a sheet of baking paper that you have placed on the work surface 8. Using a dough scraper, shape the mixture into a rectangle measuring approximately 12.5x3 inches 9 and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
To prepare the cookies
When the shortcrust pastry has rested, take the disk and roll it out on a lightly floured surface 1, until you get a square about 1/4 inch thick, a couple of inches longer than the filling (about 13.5 inches) 2. Then place the black cherry filling in the center of the rectangle 3, remove the parchment paper
and using a dough scraper, straighten the edges of the shortcrust pastry so that the two edges meet covering the filling without overlapping (4-5). You can freeze the excess shortcrust pastry wrapped in plastic to make cookies later. Once you have removed the excess 6
fold the two edges toward the center 7 and lightly pinch the dough with your fingers 8 to make them adhere perfectly. Then flip it onto a tray lined with baking paper 9 and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.
In these 10 minutes, prepare the glaze. Pour the egg white into a bowl and add the lemon juice 1. Then start working with electric whisks, adding the powdered sugar little by little 2 until you get a thick glaze 3.
Then take the log and cut off the dough without filling 13. Place some glaze in the center 14 and spread it to cover the entire surface 15.
Once you have completely covered the log 16, use a toothpick to create a groove along one side about 0.4 inches from the edge 17. Do the same on the other side. Then create a parchment paper cone and fill it with the jam 18.
Then use it to fill the grooves you just created with the toothpick (19-20). At this point, you just need to cut cookies about 1.4 inches wide 21.
Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper 22 and bake in a preheated static oven at 347°F on the central rack for 20-25 minutes. Remove the black cherry cookies from the oven 23 and let them cool before serving 24.