Pignoli cookies are a dreamy Sicilian dessert that includes an almond paste dough that’s rolled into balls, coated in pine nuts, and baked. The ensuing cookies are tender, chewy, candy, nutty, and completely irresistible.
Seeking to break away out of your customary cookie routine? These pignoli cookies are your reply. Made up of almond paste, sugar, egg white, orange zest, and almond extract, the dough is formed into two chew sized balls, rolled in pine nuts, and baked. The ultimate product is a splendidly tender, chewy cookie that sings with the standout candy nuttiness of almonds and pine nuts with simply the proper trace of citrus. End ’em off with a dusting of powdered sugar and also you’re in for an actual deal with.
Why We Love This Cookie Recipe
- Nice taste. The pure candy nuttiness of the almond paste and the toasty pine nuts mingle with a delicate twist of citrus for the proper taste combo.
- Chewy texture. I like the slight crunch of the outside of those cookies, which supplies technique to a wealthy, chewy heart.
- Fast and straightforward. Throw some substances in a blender, roll the dough into balls, roll the balls in pine nuts, and bake. That’s it! It doesn’t get a lot simpler.
What Are Pignoli Cookies
Pignoli cookies are a traditional Italian dessert constructed from almond paste, sugar, and egg whites. A touch of citrus is usually thrown into the batter as properly. The cookies are shaped into little balls, coated in pine nuts (pignoli), and baked. The result’s a candy, nutty, chewy cookie that’s virtually not possible to withstand.
Pignoli Cookies Components
- Almond paste: You could find almond paste in most grocery shops, however if you happen to can’t, it’s fairly straightforward to make your individual with blanched almond flour, powdered sugar, egg white, and almond extract. See the notes part of the recipe card under for the recipe.
- Granulated sugar
- Egg whites: It’s at all times finest to begin with room-temperature egg whites. They are going to combine extra easily and simply with the opposite substances.
- Orange zest: You may use lemon zest as a substitute. I recommend utilizing a tad much less, nonetheless.
- Salt
- Pine nuts: You’ll wish to use uncooked pine nuts.
- Powdered sugar is elective, however it brings a beautiful aesthetic to the completed product.
Tips on how to Make Pignoli Cookies
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix. In a meals processor, mix collectively the almond paste, sugar, egg whites, orange zest, and salt till easy.
- Kind cookies. Kind the dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls and roll the dough balls within the pine nuts, urgent them calmly into the dough.
- Bake. Prepare the dough balls on the ready cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes.
- Cool. Enable the cookies to chill on the baking sheet for five minutes or so earlier than transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Mud. As soon as absolutely cooled, mud the cookies with powdered sugar.
Ideas For Success
- Break up the almond paste. Break the almond paste into items earlier than including it to the meals processor as a result of if the clumps are too giant, it received’t mix correctly.
- Get the moisture content material proper. Retailer-bought almond paste can differ in moisture content material. In case your almond paste is sort of moist, you may want rather less egg white. Add a little bit of egg white at a time to get the precise consistency. You need the dough to return collectively however you don’t need it to be so sticky you may’t deal with it.
- Chill (if wanted). If the dough comes out of the meals processor heat from the movement of the blades and/or is overly tender, go forward and pop it within the fridge for 15 to half-hour to make it simpler to work with.
- Moist your fingers. Moist your fingers barely earlier than rolling the dough into balls. It’ll make it simpler to work with.
- Even measurement. Maintain your dough balls to about 2 inches in diameter. Guaranteeing the cookies are as shut as attainable to the identical measurement will assist to bake them evenly.
- Don’t overbake. The cookies will appear very tender after they come out of the oven. You need them that means. They are going to agency up as they cool. In case you overbake them, they’ll dry out.
Correct Storage
As soon as the cookies have cooled to room temperature, seal them in an hermetic container. They are going to maintain at room temperature for as much as 1 week or within the freezer for as much as 3 months. I don’t suggest storing pignoli cookies within the fridge – they’ll dry out.
Extra Cookies To Attempt
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Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Mix. Add the almond paste, sugar, egg whites, orange zest, and salt to a meals processor or blender and mix till easy.
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Kind cookies. Kind the dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls.
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Coat in pine nuts. Pour the pine nuts right into a bowl and roll every dough ball within the pine nuts, utilizing your fingers to press them calmly into the dough.
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Bake. Prepare the dough balls on the ready cookie sheet with about 1 ½ inches of area between every dough ball and bake for 12 minutes.
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Cool. Take away from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for five minutes or so earlier than transferring them to a cooling rack.
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Mud. As soon as absolutely cooled, mud the cookies with powdered sugar and serve.
- Break the almond paste into small items earlier than processing; giant clumps received’t mix properly.
- For simpler dealing with, chill the dough for 15 to half-hour if it’s too heat or tender after mixing it within the meals processor.
- Barely moist your fingers to roll the dough into balls.
- Kind dough balls about 2 inches in diameter for even baking.
- Keep away from overbaking; cookies will agency up as they cool and must be tender when faraway from the oven.
ALMOND PASTE RECIPE:
In case you can’t discover almond paste, you may make your individual. You’ll need the next substances:
- 168 grams of blanched almond flour
- 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 well-beaten egg white
- A splash of almond extract
- A splash of salt
Add all the substances to a meals processor and mix till easy.
Serving: 1 cookie | Energy: 143 kcal | Carbohydrates: 15 g | Protein: 3 g | Fats: 9 g | Saturated Fats: 1 g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 3 g | Monounsaturated Fats: 4 g | Sodium: 44 mg | Potassium: 92 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 13 g | Vitamin A: 4 IU | Vitamin C: 1 mg | Calcium: 28 mg | Iron: 1 mg
Dietary data is an estimate and offered as courtesy. Values could differ in line with the substances and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
