Learn to make pignoli cookies! These Italian pine nut cookies are chewy, nutty, and stuffed with wealthy almond taste. They’re good 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 elements, however I believe 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 not too long ago 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 Whether or not you’re new to pignoli cookies or they’re an outdated vacation favourite, I believe you’ll love this recipe!
What are pignoli cookies?
Pignoli cookies are Italian pine nut cookies that seemingly originated in Sicily. Particularly widespread across the holidays, they’re historically made with simply 4 elements: pine nuts (known 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 stability the flavors. Preserve studying to learn to make it!
The way 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 yow will discover it within the baking aisle of most grocery shops (I just like the Odense and Dealer Joe’s manufacturers). It’s much like marzipan, however the 2 aren’t interchangeable—marzipan comprises the next proportion of sugar, and it received’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 an alternative.
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 frivolously 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 whole recipe with measurements under.
Recipe Suggestions
- Chill the dough if wanted. The feel of your cookie dough will rely upon what model of almond paste you utilize. If it’s too sticky to roll into balls instantly, 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 seemingly shed a couple of pine nuts after baking. To stop too many from falling off, frivolously 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 an alternative. When you’ve shopped for pine nuts currently, you’ve in all probability had sticker shock once you’ve seen the worth. I do know I’ve! When you’d like to save lots of a couple of {dollars}, be happy to interchange the pine nuts with blanched slivered almonds.
The way to Retailer Italian Pignoli Cookies
These pignoli cookies hold properly in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 3 days.
Additionally they freeze properly. 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
When you love these Italian pine nut cookies, strive one among 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 good 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 kind 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 arms to roll them into balls. If the dough is simply too gentle to roll, chill within the fridge for five minutes to agency up. Roll within the pine nuts, urgent frivolously in order that the pine nuts keep on with the dough.
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Place on the baking sheet, leaving not less than 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 frivolously 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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