Pignoli is one of the must have Christmas cookies. These macaroons are filled with the flavors of roasted pine nuts and almonds—the two key ingredients in this recipe.
The almond paste, sugars, and egg whites make the dough quite sticky. I like to use a cookie scoop and wet hands to shape the dough into small 1-inch balls.
Lightly coat the dough in the pine nuts (they are expensive), and place on two parchment-lined cookie sheets. I find parchment works best for this recipe and not an ungreased cookie sheet.
If you want to shape your cookies, lightly press on the top of each cookie with the back of a spoon. Store cookies in an air-tight container. Cookies have a short life expectancy in my house, so I never need to worry about storing them.
Pignoli Amaretti Recipe
The flavor of almonds and the taste of roasted pine nuts is what makes this macaroon especially flavorful.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 2 dozen
Ingredients
- 1 8- ounce can almond paste
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 2 cups pine nuts
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour pine nuts in bowl.
- With an electric mixer, beat almond paste, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and egg whites on low- speed until blended, or add ingredients to food processor and pulse until ingredients are blended. Mix for an additional minute or two until dough is sticky.
- Using wet hands and a cookie scoop, roll dough into 1-inch balls then roll in bowl of pine nuts until lightly covered. Place on cookie sheet about 2-inches apart; one dozen per cookie sheet.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned. Let cookies cool completely then dust with additional powdered sugar if desired.
Crochet Hooks says
June 13, 2016 at 9:34 AMoh these pignoli amaretti sound delish! They have HUGE bags of pine nuts at the local costco for a good price so I will be adding these cookies to my must taste test list!
Sherry says
June 13, 2016 at 8:15 PMIf you try the recipe, let me know if you like the cookies. Thanks for stopping by.
Gail @Purple Hues and Me says
June 14, 2016 at 8:06 AMThanks so much, Sherry, for introducing us to another one of your wonderful Italian traditions with this yummy looking cookie! This is a must try for me since I love nuts of any kind in recipes.
Darlene Nemeth says
June 14, 2016 at 9:16 PMIt’s the same at our house. Those cookies would not last the day. And I’m with Gail. I love recipes that include nuts. Thanks for sharing.
Robin @ Redo It Yourself Inspirations says
June 17, 2016 at 6:25 AMLove pine nuts and this is the first cookie I’ve ever seen with them! You share the some nice originals,Sherry. Pinned to make!
Beverly Roderick says
June 19, 2016 at 8:47 AMThis is such a unique recipe, Sherry. The cookies sound delicious!