A Cry for Help: Amaretto

Ok, so I give.  I've been trying to make amaretto and to be blunt it has been a horrific failure.  Everything I find online is about adding almond extract to booze, aaaaaannnnnddddd no.  I tried to make amaretto directly from almonds, following almond extract processes, and it was a pretty complete failure.  I'm not sure where the color generally comes from because all the extract directions I've found involve using blanched almonds.  Has anyone out there done home made amaretto directly from almonds?