Pignoli cookies are one of the easiest cookies you can make, requiring very little work and minimal ingredients. For a little taste of Italy, whip up a batch of these delicious Italian cookies today!
Hubby and I are off to Italy for a few weeks. I thought that I would post a great Italian cookie recipe in light of this being another food and wine trip. Hey, the wine reserves were getting low at the house! After Hubby put in the new wineracks a few weeks ago, we discovered we have room for five-six cases of wine. The last time we were in Italy was in the fall of 2019. It was a wonderful experience, and Hubby is excited to go back. We will be visiting Verona, Florence, Rome, and Sicily for more wines and to enjoy great Italian food.
Pignoli Cookies Recipe
Pignoli are Italian cookies frequently found in an Italian bakery. They are popular cookies in southern Italy and in Sicily. You can find them in Italian bakeries in the United States, too. This classic Italian cookie is very simple to make and naturally gluten-free. It sports a perfectly chewy center with crispy exteriors. This is a delicious almond and pine nut flavor cookie!
The Pignoli cookie is a light golden brown color cookie made with almond paste, sugar, and egg whites and then studded with golden pine nuts (the Italian word for pine nuts is pinoli). The almond flavor and crisp exterior are a perfect flavor and texture pairing that you will love; this will quickly become one of your favorite cookies! If you enjoy Italian classic cookies, you may also want to try this delicious Italian ricotta cheese cookies recipe.
Italian pignoli cookies are easy to make. This holiday favorite is perfect for holiday meals, a clinch box, or after-dinner desserts, and not just the holiday season! It really is a great recipe any time of year.
Tips and variations for making this pignoli cookie recipe:
● Do not overbake the cookies. Pignoli cookies are supposed to be crisp on the outside and moist and chewy on the inside.
● This recipe is a basic Pignoli cookie. But you can make flavored pignoli by adding lemon zest or orange zest, or ground cinnamon to the cookie dough. You can add the flavors along with the salt and sugar in step 3.
● How to make your own almond paste
● You can use cookie scoops instead of a tablespoon if you like.
● This recipe uses a food processor, not a stand mixer or hand mixer. I suppose you could use either if you wanted; I have not done so.
● For my UK and Australian friends: confectioners sugar is icing sugar (powdered sugar, 10x).
● Ingredients for this recipe are commonly found at your local grocery store.
If you would like more easy recipes, try one of these great cookie recipes:
● Bear Claw Cookies Recipe
● Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe
● Grandma’s Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies Recipe
Pignoli Cookies Recipe Ingredients
● 1 lb Almond Paste
● 1½ cup White Granulated Sugar
● ¼ teaspoon Salt
● 2 large Egg Whites
● ½ teaspoon Almond Extract
● ½ cup Pine Nuts
Pignoli Cookies Mise en Place:
● 2 Cookie Sheets (baking sheets)
● Parchment Paper
● Measuring Spoons
● Food Processor
● Rubber Spatula
● Measuring Cup
● Cooling Rack (wire rack)
Pignoli Cookies Recipe Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
3. Break the almond paste into tiny pieces and add to the bowl of the food processor, along with sugar and salt. Process until it looks like wet sand.
4. Add the egg whites and almond extract and pulse the food processor until the mixture comes together and forms a smooth and sticky dough.
5. Scoop out a tablespoon of dough and form it into a round ball. Use wet hands so that the ball of dough does not stick to your hands.
6. Place pine nuts on a small plate and roll the dough balls in the pine nuts and place them in a single layer on the prepared parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving ample room between the cookies for spreading.
7. Bake the cookies in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 minutes or until the pine nuts start to turn golden.
8. Cool the cookies completely before you store them in an airtight container.
9. Optional step: Lightly dust the cookies with confectioners sugar.
Pignoli Cookies Recipe
Pignoli Cookies Recipe. Pignoli cookies are one of the easiest cookies you can make, requiring very little work and minimal ingredients. For a little taste of Italy, whip up a batch of these delicious Italian cookies today!
Ingredients
- 1 lb Almond Paste
- 1½ cup White Granulated Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 2 large Egg Whites
- ½ teaspoon Almond Extract
- ½ cup Pine Nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Break the almond paste into tiny pieces and add to the bowl of the food processor, along with sugar and salt. Process until it looks like wet sand.
- Add the egg whites and almond extract and pulse the food processor until the mixture comes together and forms a smooth and sticky dough.
- Scoop out a tablespoon of dough and form it into a round ball. Use wet hands so that the ball of dough does not stick to your hands.
- Place pine nuts on a small plate and roll the dough balls in the pine nuts and place them in a single layer on the prepared parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving ample room between the cookies for spreading.
- Bake the cookies in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 minutes or until the pine nuts start to turn golden.
- Cool the cookies completely before you store them in an airtight container.
- 24Optional step: Lightly dust the cookies with confectioners sugar.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Fitz and Floyd Butterfly Fields Serving Platter Tray, Standard, Multicolored -
Godinger Dublin Crystal Rectangular Serving Tray, Clear -
Collapsible Party Tray, 3 Tier - The Decorative Plastic Appetizer Trays Twist Down and Fold Inside for Minimal Storage Space. An Elegant Tray for Serving Sandwiches, Cake, Sliced Cheese and Deli Meat.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 156Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 29mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 2g
Note: for exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information provided is simply a guideline.
● For more Recipes on Ann’s Entitled Life, click here.
● If you enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for the Ann’s Entitled Life weekly newsletter, and never miss another article!
Leave a Reply