Kitchen Recipe Collection
Italian Pignoli Cookies
A classic Southern Italian bakery cookie. Dense, incredibly chewy almond paste cookies entirely encrusted in toasted pine nuts.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 24
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- italian
Ingredients
Scaled for 24 servings
- almond paste (not marzipan; at least 50% almonds)
- granulated sugar
- powdered sugar
- egg whites
- pine nuts (pinoli, a large amount)
Equipment
- Food processor
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Instructions
- 1
Prepare Almond Paste
Break the almond paste into small pieces in a food processor. Add the granulated and powdered sugar.
- 2
Pulse
Pulse until the mixture resembles fine, sandy crumbs.
- 3
Add Whites
With the processor running, slowly add the egg whites (do not whip them first) until a sticky, cohesive dough forms.
- 4
Prepare Pine Nuts
Place the pine nuts in a shallow bowl.
- 5
Shape
Using wet hands (the dough is very sticky), roll the dough into small balls (about 1 inch).
- 6
Coat
Drop the sticky dough balls into the pine nuts. Roll them around, pressing gently so the pine nuts adhere heavily to the outside.
- 7
Arrange
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving some room for them to spread.
- 8
Bake
Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 15-17 minutes. The cookies should flatten slightly, the pine nuts should turn golden, and the edges should just barely brown.
- 9
Cooling Process
Crucial step: Let them cool COMPLETELY on the parchment paper. If you try to remove them while warm, the bottoms will tear off.
- 10
Serve
Once cool, peel them from the paper. They should be slightly crisp on the edges and very chewy in the center.
Cooking Tips
- You must use almond paste, not marzipan. Marzipan contains significantly more sugar and will cause the cookies to spread into puddles.
- Pine nuts are expensive; soaking them in water for 5 minutes before pressing them into the dough helps them adhere better and prevents burning in the oven.
Variations
- Amaretti: The same base dough, but coated in granulated sugar or sliced almonds instead of pine nuts.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- A staple of Italian-American bakeries, often sold by weight.
Nutrition Estimate
120 calories · 3g protein · 12g carbs · 8g fat · 1g fiber per serving
