Pignoli cookies are an Italian classic! Easy and made in the food processor, these almond paste 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.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Crumble almond paste into small pieces (around the size of a chickpea is fine) into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to break the chunks up into rough crumbs.
Add the granulated sugar, confectioners' sugar, kosher salt, and cinnamon to the food processor and pulse until evenly combined and everything is in small crumbs.
While the food processor is running, add the egg white, honey, and vanilla extract. Pulse as the mixture becomes thickened and smooth and forms a sticky ball of dough.
Add one cup of the pine nuts to a shallow bowl, keeping the other quarter-cup nearby. Scoop one even tablespoon of batter and roll it into a ball with your hands. It will be sticky but it will form a ball. Roll the ball in the pine nuts to coat it completely, then place cookies around two-inches apart on the lined baking sheets. Add the reserved quarter-cup of pine nuts to the main bowl if needed.
Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until the edges are turning golden brown and the tops are just becoming golden. Let the pignoli cookies cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar for serving if you like.
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Notes
Ingredient NotesAlmond Paste: It's not recommended to substitute in marzipan here, as marzipan is a fair amount sweeter with a harder texture.Confectioners' Sugar: If not weighing, measure the confectioners' sugar like you would flour, using the spoon-and-level method. Stir it up in its bag so it's not packed down, then spoon it into your measuring cup until it's heaped over the top. Use a straight-edge to level off the top of the cup, letting the excess fall back into the bag.Pine Nuts: Use raw nuts as they toast during the cookie bake time.Recipe Tips
The dough will be sticky. It should stick to your fingers but roll fairly cleanly between your palms to form balls. If it's sticking a bit more than you'd like, coat your hands with a small bit of cool water to cut down on the sticking.
Measure a flat (not heaping) one tablespoon of dough to get the whole yield here. Many cookie scoops are larger than one straight tablespoon, so I recommend using a measuring spoon itself to portion out the dough.
The reasoning behind starting with one cup of nuts is that you'll have to discard any excess nuts as they were in contact with the raw egg dough. Add in just as much as you need from the remaining quarter-cup as to not waste any.
Storage Instructions: Once totally cooled, place pignoli cookies in an air-tight container or bag and store at room temperature for one week (or really, even longer).Freezing Instructions: Freeze pignoli cookies once cooled in air-tight freezer containers or bags for up to several months. Let them thaw fully before dusting with powdered sugar, if doing so, so it doesn't "melt" into the surface and disappear.
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.