Pignoli cookies are deliciously crisp outdoors and mushy and chewy inside, making them one of the vital cherished Italian almond cookies.
In all probability the best Christmas cookies you may make, Pignoli cookies require simply 4 most important elements: almonds, pine nuts, sugar, and egg whites.
Sprinkled with icing sugar, pignoli cookies are historically served throughout Christmas and different common holidays, they usually additionally make a beautiful edible Christmas present.
Every time I’ve leftover egg whites (principally after making Italian pastry dough, pastry cream, or butter cookies) I make these pine nut cookies.
They’re so easy to make, they usually all the time get superb critiques from household and mates.
So, in case you’re in search of a easy Christmas cookie to serve or present over the vacations, this pignoli cookie recipe is the reply!
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WHAT ARE PIGNOLI COOKIES?
Pignoli or pinoli means “pine nuts” within the Italian language, and pignoli cookies are conventional Italian almond and pine nuts cookies.
It isn’t clear the place these common Christmas cookies originate from, however most agree they arrive from Liguria, a area in northern Italy well-known for its basil pesto recipe.
Through the Christmas holidays, you will discover these cookies with pine nuts in each little bakery, they usually go by the title of “pinolate, pignolate or pinolini”.
Pignoli are additionally also known as amaretti with pignoli (amaretti with pine nuts) as a result of the recipe is very related to amaretti cookies.
An analogous cookie is made in Sicily, however right here almond paste or marzipan is normally added to the dough.
The recipe I am sharing is with out almond paste, however you are welcome to substitute the almond flour with the almond paste in case you like.
PIGNOLI INGREDIENTS
This conventional pine nut cookie recipe proves that you would be able to make an incredible Italian dessert with simply 4 elements:
- Almonds: use almond flour or blanched almonds blitzed in a mixer till you may have a tremendous, powdery flour. Almond flour and almond meal are the identical factor, floor almonds.
- Sugar: use common granulated sugar for this recipe. You can even use uncooked cane sugar or powdered sugar.
- Eggs: go for a medium-sized egg, you may simply want the egg white for this recipe.
- Almond extract: completely non-compulsory, it provides further almond taste. You possibly can substitute it with vanilla extract in case you like or lemon zest.
- Baking powder: it is non-compulsory, however slightly baking powder provides the cookies a pleasant barely softer texture.
HOW TO MAKE PIGNOLI COOKIES
This can be a fast overview of my simple pignoli cookie recipe with step-step footage.
For the complete recipe, scroll all the way down to the easy-to-print recipe card.
STEP 1 – Put together the elements.
Add almond flour and sugar to a meals processor and pulse for a number of seconds. You possibly can skip this step in case you’re utilizing powdered sugar.
STEP 2 – Put together the dough.
Add the almond flour combine to a bowl, add the egg white, and baking powder, and blend all of the elements collectively to type a barely sticky dough.
STEP 3 – Type the cookies.
Use your palms to type small even balls.
Place pine nuts right into a small bowl, and dip every ball into the pine nuts, urgent them barely in order that the pine nuts adhere to the floor.
Refrigerate the cookies for quarter-hour.
STEP 4 – Bake the cookies.
Bake pine nut cookies within the oven and bake for quarter-hour.
Allow them to cool fully on a cooling rack, then serve.
HOW TO STORE PINE NUT COOKIES
Retailer your Italian pine nut cookies in an hermetic container or sealed jar. Preserve them in a cool spot in your kitchen or within the fridge for as much as 3-4 days.
BAKING TIPS
- To make issues faster, you possibly can use a small cookie scoop to type even balls.
- You possibly can dip the cookie balls immediately right into a bowl stuffed with pine nuts or brush them with further egg white after which dip them.
- These cookies shouldn’t overcook as a result of they have to stay mushy inside, so after the primary 12 minutes of baking time, test the oven each 2 minutes.
- Let the pine nuts cookies cool fully on a cooling rack, it will assist set them, and leads to a crunchy outdoors and a mushy and chewy inside.
STORAGE TIPS
Retailer your Italian pignoli cookies in an hermetic container or sealed jar. Preserve them in a cool spot in your kitchen or within the fridge for as much as 3-4 days.
RECIPE FAQs
Sure, you possibly can! As soon as baked, place them on a baking sheet for an hour, then switch them to a ziplock bag and freeze them for as much as two months.
Sure, you possibly can! You possibly can type your cookies the evening earlier than, refrigerate them in a single day then bake them within the morning.
DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE?
Please let me know the way you favored it! Depart a remark beneath and share an image on Instagram with the hashtag #thepetitecook!
Taking a look at your footage all the time makes me smile *and tremendous hungry*!
📖 RECIPE
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Pignoli cookies are deliciously crisp outdoors and mushy and chewy inside, making them one of the vital cherished Italian Christmas cookies.
Serving: 12
Energy: 117kcal
Elements
- 150 g almond flour, approx 1+½ cups
- 1 egg white
- 140 g sugar (or cane sugar or powdered sugar), approx ¾ cup
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract, non-compulsory
- 140 g pine nuts, approx 1 cup
Directions
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Place the almond flour and sugar in a meals processor and pulse them till you attain a sandy consistency, and switch to a bowl. In the event you use powdered sugar, merely combine the 2 elements in a bowl.
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Add the egg white, baking powder and almond extract (if utilizing) into the bowl, and blend all of the elements collectively to type a barely sticky dough.
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Use your palms to type small even balls. The combination ought to be sticky however pretty agency, and the balls ought to maintain their form when positioned on the baking tray.
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Place the pine nuts right into a small bowl, and dip every ball into the pine nuts, urgent it barely in order that the pine nuts adhere to the floor.Organize the cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for quarter-hour.
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Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F and organize the baking tray onto the center shelf of the oven.
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Place the pine nut cookies within the oven and bake them for 15-17 minutes. The cookies ought to have a barely golden color and will nonetheless really feel fairly mushy when faraway from the oven.
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Switch the cookies to a cooling rack and permit them to chill fully, they’ll harden as they cool. Serve them right away or mud them with powdered sugar and serve.
Notes
STORAGE TIPS
Retailer your Italian pine nut cookies in an hermetic container or sealed jar. Preserve them in a cool spot in your kitchen or within the fridge for as much as 3-4 days.
BAKING TIPS
- To make issues faster, you possibly can use a small cookie scoop to type even balls.
- You possibly can dip the cookie balls immediately right into a bowl stuffed with pine nuts or brush them with further egg white after which dip them.
- These cookies shouldn’t overcook as a result of they have to stay mushy inside, so after the primary 12 minutes of baking time, test the oven each 2 minutes.
- Let the pignoli cookies cool fully on a cooling rack, it will assist set them, and leads to a crunchy outdoors and a mushy and chewy inside.
Diet
Serving: 1cookie | Energy: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fats: 6g | Saturated Fats: 0.4g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 4mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 0.5mg
The data proven is an estimate offered by a web-based diet calculator. It shouldn’t be thought of an alternative to knowledgeable nutritionist’s recommendation.
