If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of making a pignoli cookies recipe, you’re in for a treat! These Italian cookies originated in Sicily as the Mediterranean version of the popular macaroon cookies. Crumbly almond paste holds pinenuts together for crunchy, nutty Christmas cookies that are deliciously decadent but naturally gluten-free!
Pignoli cookies will bring a unique taste and texture to any holiday cookie spread. They’re perfect on the Christmas cookie tray right next to my Italian Christmas Cookies, and Italian Wedding Cookies.
Let’s get baking!
What I Love About Pignoli Cookies Recipe
While these cookies recipes might not be as well-known in the holiday cookie circuit as other Italian favorites like anisette or Italian butter cookies, they’re super easy to make and absolutely unmatched in almond flavor!
- Six simple ingredients
- A celebration of almond flavor
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- DELICIOUS!
Ingredient Notes
Almond Paste:Â Find almond paste in the baking aisle of your grocery store. You might not find it in tubes as this recipe asks for, but just make sure it’s paste, not flavoring, extract, or flour. Almond paste is one step beyond flour in the processing steps, breaking down the nuts so they’re smoother.
Egg White: This recipe calls only for egg white, not a whole egg. Using egg whites in cooking brings moisture and protein-driven structure without the density and custard-like quality of egg yolks. Pignoli cookies are a very delicate, light cookie, so excluding the egg yolk plays into the flavors you want to highlight!
Pine Nuts:Â One way to punch up the nutty richness of your cookies recipe, even more, is to toast your pine nuts. There are many ways of doing this, but I prefer spreading them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and baking at 375 for about ten minutes. Toasted perfection!
STORING + FREEZING + MAKE AHEAD
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Can You Freeze This? Yes! After they’re cool, pop them in an airtight container or bag, and they’ll hang out just fine in your freezer for up to 6- 12 months! I, personally, think pignoli cookies taste even better right out of the freezer! They take on this lusciously firm quality that is just perfect for a midnight snack.
- Make-Ahead: This recipe comes together very quickly once you start, but you can always whip up the dough ahead of time and freeze or store it in your fridge until you’re ready to bake. Raw cookie dough will last up to two days in your fridge (sealed, of course — I like wrapping mine in cling wrap!) or in your freezer for up to three months.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more food safety info check out this article.
More Italian Christmas Cookies
- Italian Fig Cookies
- Amaretti CookiesÂ
- Anise Cookies
- Almond Biscotti Recipe
- Chocolate BiscottiÂ
- Ricotta CookiesÂ
Pignoli Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 (7-ounce) tube almond paste, crumbled coarsely
- 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups pine nuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment; set aside.
- Add the almond paste and confectioners' sugar to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined.
- Add the egg white, honey, and salt and continue to pulse until the mixture is smooth and thick about 1 minute.
- Add pine nuts to a mixing bowl. Using a small cookie scoop portion the dough, one at a time, onto the pine nuts. Roll dough to cover with pine nuts. Place on prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart.
- Bake in preheated oven until edges are set and begin to brown, about 16-19 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
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