Discover ways to make pignoli cookies! These Italian pine nut cookies are chewy, nutty, and filled with wealthy almond taste. They’re excellent for the vacations!
These pignoli cookies are a brand new addition to my vacation cookie lineup, and I already can’t get sufficient of them. A toasty, crunchy pine nut crust surrounds the chewy cookies, that are bursting with almond taste (my favourite at Christmastime). They’re straightforward to make with 7 components, however I feel they’d be the star of any vacation cookie plate.
I first tried pignoli cookies on a visit to Italy years in the past, and I re-discovered them extra just lately at a bakery close to our cottage in Michigan. I purchased so many over the previous few summers that I knew I needed to develop my very own pignoli cookie recipe to make at house. After some testing and tweaking, I’m so excited to share it with you. Whether or not you’re new to pignoli cookies or they’re an outdated vacation favourite, I feel you’ll love this recipe!
What are pignoli cookies?
Pignoli cookies are Italian pine nut cookies that probably originated in Sicily. Particularly widespread across the holidays, they’re historically made with simply 4 components: pine nuts (referred to as pignoli or pinoli in Italian), almond paste, sugar, and egg whites. The cookies have an identical chewy, delicate texture to a French macaron, and the pine nuts coat the outsides.
I add almond flour and salt to my model to make the dough simpler to work with and steadiness the flavors. Preserve studying to discover ways to make it!
Methods to Make Pignoli Cookies
This pignoli cookie recipe requires a key ingredient that you just may not have labored with earlier than: almond paste. Almond paste is solely a paste comprised of almonds and sugar, and you could find it within the baking aisle of most grocery shops (I just like the Odense and Dealer Joe’s manufacturers). It’s just like marzipan, however the 2 aren’t interchangeable—marzipan comprises the next proportion of sugar, and it gained’t work in its place in these cookies.
You’ll begin by breaking down the almond paste in a meals processor. Pulse it with the granulated and powdered sugars, egg white, and salt till the combination is thick and clean.
Then, switch the combination to a bowl and add the almond flour. It doesn’t incorporate evenly within the meals processor, so I combine it in a bowl with a spatula as a substitute.
Form the cookies by rolling heaping tablespoons of the dough into balls, then rolling them in pine nuts. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and press down on the tops of the balls to flatten them barely.
Bake at 325°F till calmly golden brown across the edges, 18 to 22 minutes.
Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes earlier than transferring to a wire rack to chill utterly.
Discover the entire recipe with measurements under.
Recipe Suggestions
- Chill the dough if wanted. The feel of your cookie dough will rely on what model of almond paste you employ. If it’s too sticky to roll into balls straight away, chill it within the fridge for five minutes to agency up.
- Evenly press the pine nuts into every cookie to assist them stick. Your cookies will probably shed a couple of pine nuts after baking. To stop too many from falling off, calmly press the pine nuts into the cookie dough earlier than baking.
- Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. These cookies will probably be very delicate proper after you are taking them out of the oven. To assist them arrange, allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes earlier than transferring to a wire rack to chill utterly.
- Pine nuts too expensive? Use slivered almonds as a substitute. Should you’ve shopped for pine nuts recently, you’ve most likely had sticker shock while you’ve seen the value. I do know I’ve! Should you’d like to avoid wasting a couple of {dollars}, be at liberty to exchange the pine nuts with blanched slivered almonds.
Methods to Retailer Italian Pignoli Cookies
These pignoli cookies preserve effectively in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 3 days.
In addition they freeze effectively. Seal them in an hermetic container or bag, and freeze for as much as 3 months! Let frozen cookies sit at room temperature for half-hour to 1 hour to thaw.
Extra Cookie Recipes to Strive
Should you love these Italian pine nut cookies, strive one in all these scrumptious cookie recipes subsequent:
Pignoli Cookies
Serves 15 cookies
I am unable to get sufficient of those Italian pignoli cookies! They’re deliciously chewy and nutty, with a wealthy almond taste and crunchy pine nut coating. They’d be excellent for a vacation cookie plate!
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Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a big baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a meals processor, place the almond paste, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, egg white, and salt and pulse to type a thick, clean paste.
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Switch to a medium bowl, add the almond flour, and stir to mix.
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Place the pine nuts in a small bowl. Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough, then use your fingers to roll them into balls. If the dough is simply too comfortable to roll, chill within the fridge for five minutes to agency up. Roll within the pine nuts, urgent calmly in order that the pine nuts persist with the dough.
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Place on the baking sheet, leaving at the least an inch between cookies. Press down on the tops of the cookies to flatten them barely, then bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or till calmly golden brown across the edges.
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Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes earlier than transferring to a wire rack to chill utterly.
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