Pignoli Cookies

Pignoli cookies are an Italian classic! Easy and made in the food processor, these almond-flavored cookies are covered in pine nuts that become toasty as they bake. With a crinkly exterior and soft and chewy center, these cookies are a holiday favorite.

One of the most ever-present foods of my childhood was a great big assortment of cookies from the Italian bakery. Measured in pounds, these mixes included jam sandwich cookies dipped in chocolate, sprinkle cookies, butter cookies with candied cherries in the middle, my favorite rainbow cookies, florentines, and many more.

Looking back now I took them for granted because I certainly can’t say that I’ve seen this beloved mix around here much in Tennessee. One cookie featured in the assortment I took doubly for granted was the pignoli cookie.

I guess as a kid I didn’t think I liked pignoli nuts? However a trip back home to New Jersey for my friend’s wedding had me diving into the pignoli cookie tray during the Venetian hour (after I finished my cannoli…) and OH MAN. Big time regrets. Why hadn’t I indulged in these sooner??

Soon after I set to work on my own recipe to make at home, and have landed on these beauties right here.

Reasons to Love This Recipe

• Their unique flavor and consistency just can’t be beat. The bold flavor of almond paste combines with toasty pine nuts for a perfect pairing. These cookies are crisper on the outside with a chewy soft interior bursting with almond.
• This is a one bowl recipe – the food processor! It also requires no chill time.
• They’re naturally flourless, gluten-free and dairy-free, making them a wonderful option for those with dietary restrictions around the holidays.

What are Pignoli Cookies?

Pignoli cookies are unique for their juxtaposition of flavors and textures. The exterior of these cookies is crinkly and slightly crisp while the interior is soft and bursting with almond flavor. The pignoli nuts that coat these cookies turn golden brown and perfectly toasty while they bake, so no pre-toasting is required.

If there can be a drawback of these cookies (the horror), it’s that they’re not the cheapest cookie to make. Each batch requires one package of almond paste and six ounces of pine nuts, both pricey ingredients. They also don’t make a ton (around 21 cookies per batch), but they make such a treat when sprinkled throughout a cookie assortment.

Recipe Ingredients

• Almond paste: Almond paste is made up of a combination of ground almonds and sugar, which is bursting with almond flavor (and scent!). Almond paste comes in a variety of containers, from tubes to cans to packets. My local big chain grocery store carries almond paste in 8-ounce foil packets (within a small cardboard carton). It’s usually found in the baking aisle near the canned pie fillings, canned pumpkin, etc.

• Sugars: Some pignoli cookie recipes out there use all granulated sugar, some use all confectioners’ sugar, and some use a mix in various ratios. My preferred way is to use an equal amount of both. I find adding in confectioners’ sugar brings a welcome softness and cuts down on any extra spreading that we don’t want here.

• Cinnamon: A pinch (about one-sixteenth of a teaspoon) of ground cinnamon rounds out the background flavor in the slightest way. Don’t worry about it being a perceptible flavor here if you’re not a fan.

• Pine nuts: Buy raw nuts for this recipe as they become just the right amount of toasted in the cookie bake time. A six ounce bag will all (or nearly all) be used.

The Difference Between Almond Paste and Marzipan

Almond paste differs from marzipan, another almond-based confection, in that marzipan is sweeter, smoother, and can sometimes be eaten as-is. They’ll likely be next to each other at the store if where you shop stocks both.

Almond paste is not eaten by itself and is used as an ingredient in recipes such as rainbow cookies, almond horns, or in pastry fillings.

I’ve seen a recipe or two for pignoli cookies that uses marzipan, but this recipe uses almond paste. I’ve never worked with marzipan, so I wouldn’t recommend substituting it in here. It would likely be too sweet, and I couldn’t say how its consistency would handle.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Break the block of almond paste up into small chunks about half an inch wide into the food processor. Pulse several times until they’re in rough crumbs, then add both sugars, the salt, and the cinnamon. Pulse again until everything is evenly combined and the mixture now resembles small crumbs (lower left picture).
2. While the food processor running, add the egg white, honey, and vanilla extract. A thick sticky dough will develop (lower right picture).

3. Scoop one tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball with your hands. Roll the ball in pine nuts to cover it completely, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue for the rest of the dough, placing cookies around two inches apart on the sheet. These pignoli cookies will flatten as they bake, so no need to press down on them.
4. Bake at 350°F/177°C for 16-20 minutes, or until the edges are turning a light golden-brown. Let the pignoli cookies cool on the sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Expert Tips

• The dough will be sticky (which we want as it helps the pine nuts adhere), but not too sticky where it becomes a total headache. It should stick on your fingers but be able to roll between your palms fairly easily. If it’s a bit too sticky for your liking, lightly rub a small amount of cool water on your fingers and palms to help prevent excess sticking.
• To end up with the full yield, be mindful of using just one tablespoon of dough per cookie, leveling off the top of the measuring spoon so it’s even. I have found most cookie scoops to be larger than one tablespoon, so I stick with the measuring spoon method.
• Only add one cup of the pine nuts to your bowl to start, but keep the other quarter-cup ready nearby. This way if you don’t end up needing every last nut, you don’t waste any as you’ll need to discard the excess as it came in contact with the raw egg dough.

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Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit