amaretti cookies

I am not familiar with an amaretti recipe which does not have you add in sugar gradually once the egg whites are at a soft, or at most medium, peak. You don't add it earlier because the sugar can interfere with the proteins in the whites unraveling- but you have to add in the sugar gradually because those same proteins interfere with the sugar's ability to dissolve. My favorite recipe calls for sugar added gradually after the soft peak stage, and they always turn out nice and crisp on the outside, nice and soft inside. If you want more loft in the whites, you add in a pinch of cream of tartar and then beat the whites. But try the recipe the way it is written, and then decide if you want to alter it. Just take care not to overbeat your whites before you add the sugar, and I suggest you use a very fine sugar so it dissolves easier and faster.