Pignoli Cookies
User Reviews
5
Pignoli Cookies
Description
Pignoli Cookies feature a dough made primarily from almond paste blended with sugar and egg white to form a thick, smooth paste. This dough is shaped into balls and rolled completely in pine nuts, which adhere to the surface and toast in the oven. Baking the cookies at 350°F allows the pine nuts to develop a golden color while the inside remains soft and chewy. The cookies yield a delicate, slightly sticky texture that cools into a firm yet tender bite. Avoid substituting marzipan for almond paste due to texture and sugar differences. The pine nuts add a distinctive crunch and nuttiness that contrast the soft almond interior.
These cookies are best served fully cooled to maintain their shape, as they are fragile when warm. They pair well with coffee or tea and can be enjoyed as a small treat or dessert. The almond flavor combined with pine nuts gives a balanced sweetness and nutty profile.
The dough's natural stickiness can be managed by chilling before shaping or by using pine nuts to prevent sticking during formation. Use a food processor for best results or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment if unavailable. Let cookies cool completely on the baking sheet to prevent breaking. This recipe produces about a dozen cookies, each around 25 grams.
Ingredients
- 7 ounces almond paste 198 g
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
- 1 egg large, white
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup pine nuts 140 g
Instructions
- Get ready. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the dough. Slice or break apart the almond paste into small pieces and add to the bowl of a food processor. Add the sugar, egg white, and salt, and process until it forms a thick, smooth paste, about 1 minute. Pause halfway through to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure there are no unblended lumps of almond paste.
- Scoop the cookies. Scoop 12 rounded tablespoons of the dough (about 25g each) and roll each mound into a ball in the palms of your hand. If the dough is too sticky to work with, you can chill the dough, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Coat with pine nuts. Add the pine nuts to a wide, shallow bowl. Roll each ball of dough in the pine nuts, coating the entire surface. Gently press the pine nuts into the dough to encourage them to stick.
- Bake. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 18 minutes, or until the pine nuts and the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden.
- Cool. Let the cookies cool completely on the pan before serving.
Notes
- Use almond paste, not marzipan, for proper texture and sweetness in the dough.
- Chill sticky dough briefly to make it easier to handle and shape into balls.
- Roll dough balls in pine nuts to prevent sticking and create the characteristic nutty crust.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before moving them to avoid breakage.
- This recipe yields approximately 12 cookies, each about 25 grams.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12Cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1848 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 184.8kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 17.7g | 6% |
| Protein | 3.3g | 7% |
| Fat | 12.3g | 19% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4.8g | 28% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5.1g | 26% |
| Sodium | 54.4mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 123.3mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1.2g | 5% |
| Sugar | 14.7g | 29% |
| Vitamin A | 3.3IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 0.1mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 30.5mg | 3% |
| Iron | 0.9mg | 5% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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