Italian Pignoli Cookies (Pine Nut Cookies)

These pignoli cookies are a classic southern Italian favorite with a distinct almond flavor. Crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, pignoli, or pine nut, cookies, are kid friendly and take less than 30 minutes to make. Enjoy this easy recipe at holiday gatherings, or at any occasion.

Author: It is a Keeper

Meal Type: Milk Free

Cuisine: Italian

Difficulty: EASY

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 24 cookies

Calories: 189 kcal per serving

Ingredients

16 ounces - Almond paste
1 cup - Granulated sugar
2 - egg whites
1 ¼ cups - Pine nuts
Confectioners sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Break the almond paste into smaller chunks and place in a food processor.
Pulse until the paste resembles crumbs.
Add the sugar and pulse until the mixture is the texture of wet sand.
Add the egg whites to the food processor and pulse until the mixture becomes a solid dough.
Pour the pine nuts into a small bowl.
Divide the dough into 24 portions and roll each portion into a ball.
Press the pine nuts onto one side of the ball.
Place the ball, pine nut side up, on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned and set.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks to finish cooling.
When cookies are completely cooled, dust them with confectioners sugar.

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