Italian Pignoli Cookies Recipe – An Italian in my Kitchen

Distinctive and flavorful, Italian pignoli cookies mix the richness of almonds with the nutty, buttery goodness of pine nuts! These bite-sized pine nut cookies are straightforward to make, have a pleasant stability of candy and savory flavors and are a basic in Italian baking.

 

Coated in pine nuts and irresistible, these Italian pignoli cookies are made with easy elements and are a staple in any Italian bakery or kitchen. The mix of buttery pine nuts with almonds is solely heavenly!

There isn’t any chilling concerned in these Italian pine nut cookies which makes them tremendous straightforward to make! If you want, although, the dough will be made upfront and baked later or retailer baked pignoli cookies within the freezer to take pleasure in each time the temper strikes! 

In the event you love conventional Italian cookie recipes, these taralli cookies and ricotta cookies are to not be missed and these naturally gluten-free Italian ricciarelli cookies and coconut almond cookies each deserve a spot in your vacation baking! 

What are Pignoli Cookies?

A basic Italian cookie, pignoli cookies are additionally referred to as pine nut cookies or amaretti cookies. They’re a easy cookie with a gentle and chewy texture and a crispy exterior coated in pine nuts. 

These genuine pine nut cookies are filled with candy, distinct almond taste and simply as excellent to make at Christmas as they’re 12 months spherical. Made within the conventional method, this recipe for pignoli cookies is each naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.

• Conventional: Floor almonds are a basic Italian cookie ingredient that ends in a candy and nutty deal with. 
• Elegant with wealthy style: Pine nuts add a wealthy buttery style that ends in an opulent cookie.
• Distinctive texture: With a gentle and chewy heart and crisp pine nut coated exterior, these cookies will turn out to be a brand new favourite.
• Fast and straightforward: Mix the elements simply in a meals processor and with no chill time these cookies come collectively rapidly in simply over half-hour. 

Elements

• Pine nuts: A should for the perfect pignoli cookies! Whereas these are costly, you can purchase them in bulk and retailer them within the freezer. 
• Toasted almonds: Making pignoli with toasted almonds as an alternative of almond paste makes this cookie not solely extra economical however they’ve even have a much less intense nutty style. 
• Granulated sugar: White granulated sugar provides a candy style to the cookie. Use extra sugar if you happen to like additional candy cookies. 
• Salt: Only a pinch to boost all the opposite flavors within the cookie.
• Egg whites: You’ll solely be utilizing the egg whites on this recipe, save the egg yolks for this egg yolk lemon cake!
• Extract: Pure vanilla extract or almond extract. Almond extract will add a extra nutty style to the cookies. 
• Powdered sugar: Elective for dusting your cookies. 

Make Italian Pignoli Cookies

Toast your almonds. Place almonds in a single layer on an un greased baking sheet. Bake till they’re golden brown, take away instantly from the pan to chill in a clear bowl. Don’t go away the nuts on the cookie sheet as they’ll proceed to bake.

Make your cookie dough by including your cooled almonds, sugar and salt to a meals processor or blender and mix till a really positive powder is achieved.

Transfer the powdered elements to a big bowl then stir within the egg whites and extract. Combine till the dough is mixed.

Kind into pignoli cookie dough balls or crescents then dip the cookies into the pine nuts on the plate.

Place them with pine nuts high up on the ready baking sheet, mud with powdered sugar.

Bake till the pine nuts are golden brown. Cool about 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to chill fully. Mud with powdered sugar earlier than serving if desired.

Variations

For finest outcomes on this pignoli cookie recipe, I like to recommend to observe the directions as written, however you’ll be able to attempt a couple of substitutions or add-ins if you want! 

• Almond paste: As an alternative of constructing this with toasted almonds, you need to use almond paste which will be discovered within the baking part of most grocery shops. I might recommend buying two tubes of almond paste. 
• Almond flour: Substituting almond flour for the almonds will lead to a denser cookie, you might want much less or extra. 
• Citrus zest: Add some lemon zest or orange zest for some shiny taste within the cookie.
  Cinnamon: A pinch of cinnamon can add a heat style to the cookies.

Skilled Ideas

• Easy dough: A meals processor or blender is finest to make the graceful pignoli cookie dough. 
• Egg whites: You’ll solely want the egg whites for this recipe. Two massive eggs comprise roughly ¼ cup egg whites. 
• Sticky dough: If the dough is simply too sticky, attempt wetting your palms to assist type the balls or cookie crescents. Alternatively, if the dough is simply too dry and the pine nuts should not sticking, roll the dough in egg whites. 
• Adhere to cooling occasions: Let your cookies relaxation for the required time earlier than transferring them in any other case you danger them falling aside. 

Retailer Pignoli Cookies

To retailer: Retailer pignoli biscotti cookies at room temperature in an hermetic container for one week.

Freezing cookies: Flash freeze pignoli cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet till frozen. As soon as frozen, retailer in a freezer protected bag for as much as 2 months. Thaw cookies on the counter at room temperature and if desired heat within the oven at 250°F till crisp. 

FAQs

Are pine nuts and pignoli the identical? 

Pignoli (pronounced pēn-yō′lē) is the Italian phrase for pine nuts, so sure! The sort of nut is from the seeds of a pine tree and in Italy they’re referred to as pinoli. 

Are pignoli cookies gluten free? 

Sure! There isn’t any flour on this recipe which makes this Italian cookie recipe fully gluten-free. 

Why are pignoli cookies costly? 

That is because of the recipe elements. Traditional Italian pignoli cookies typically comprise almond paste which is each exhausting to seek out and is usually a bit dear. Pine nuts are additionally one of many dearer nuts to buy as they’re each gradual rising and labor intensive to reap. 

Why did my pignoli cookies turn out to be exhausting? 

When you have baked your cookies too lengthy, they are going to be crunchy. As cookies are saved, they’ll turn out to be much less gentle as properly. For gentle and chewy cookies solely bake your pignoli till the pine nuts flip golden brown. 

Can I exploit almond paste or marzipan as an alternative of floor almonds? 

There are various variations to this pignoli cookies recipe and lots of recipes could name for one or the opposite. You should use both however you might want roughly of every. I used toasted almonds as they’re extra available and fewer dear than almond paste and marzipan.

Marzipan has extra sugar so your cookies will probably be extra candy and you’ll most likely need to use a lesser quantity of marzipan (11 oz) and in addition probably lower the added sugar. Almond paste comprises extra almonds and is much less candy however extra nutty. You would want round two tubes (16oz) of almond paste. 

Whether or not you take pleasure in these Italian Pignoli Cookies as a candy ending to a meal, shared with family and friends on particular events, or savored with a cup of espresso or tea, I hope you take pleasure in them as a lot as we do. Take pleasure in!

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