Italian Pignoli Cookies

Italian pignoli or pine nut cookies, are a staple in Italy and Italian-American bakeries. This light and airy cookie is made from five simple ingredients and is so much better than store-bought.

These Italian Pignoli Cookies make their way to our Christmas and Easter table each year. They are a huge hit with our family and no Christmas dessert table is complete without them (and our Italian pizzelle and our Italian lemon drops).

With five ingredients, these cookies are a breeze to make (and they happen to be gluten-free)! They have a sweet almond taste, a crackly top, and a light yet chewy interior. After baking, we dust them with powdered sugar for an extra pop.

What you will need

Here is what you need for Italian pine nut cookies.

• Almond paste use the real deal for this, not marzipan. Almond paste is coarser, less sweet, and holds up in baking. You can find almond paste in well-stocked grocery stores, but if you have a bakery you love, we usually ask them to sell us some almond paste. For store-bought- we like the Solo brand they come in 8-ounce boxes, so we grab 2 boxes (16 ounces or 1 pound) for this recipe.
• Sugar Granulated white sugar is what we use. You can also substitute castor sugar if you can find it.
• Extra large egg whites Extra large egg whites (without any trace of yolk) are the key to making these light and airy.
• Pine nuts Pine nuts (or pignolis in Italian) are the edible seeds of pine. They can get pretty expensive especially when finding them in specialty and local grocery stores. You can buy them in bulk online or at Costco, however, even this can cause some sticker shock. If they are not in your budget, a good alternative is sliced almonds.
• Powdered sugar For dusting.

Below is a quick visual to help you get the solid Italian pine nut cookies every time!

Place the almond paste in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat for a few minutes on low/stir to smooth it out. Add the egg whites and sugar and beat on medium until smooth and creamy.

Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes. Using a cookie scoop (or heaping tablespoons), drop the batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart.

Lightly press 15-20 pine nuts on each cookie.

Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, rotate the pans and bake for an additional 7-9 minutes.

Cool the cookies on the pan, then use a flexible spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Expert tips

• If you are buying the Odense brand of almond paste, please note they are sold in 7-ounce packages, not 8-ounce. For this reason, we prefer the Solo brand.
• If we get any yolk in the egg whites, we usually put it aside to use for something else. We always separate our eggs into a clear dish before adding them to the remaining ingredients so we can correct for this (this is also a great idea if you are like us, and did an oopsy with the shells). We have tried this recipe with large egg whites, but we usually over or undershoot the equivalent, and the cookies taste flat.
• Use a cookie scoop to drop the batter right onto the cookie sheets. We use a #60 cookie scoop, which holds 1 tbsp+⅓ teaspoon of batter, or 0.54 ounces. If you don't have a cookie scoop, drop a heaping tablespoon of the cookie batter instead.
• use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking (the bottoms can get sticky). We like to use a flexible spatula to transfer the cooled cookies to a wire rack.

Storing pignoli cookies

After the cookies have cooled completely, dust them with powdered sugar. They can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.

Kitchen questions

Do we need to use a stand mixer?

The stand mixer is needed to make the batter light and creamy. You can also use a handheld electric mixer.

Ingredients

Makes 34 cookies (approximate depending on size)

• 1 pound (16 ounces) almond paste (not marzipan)
• 1¾ cup (14 ounces) white granulated sugar
• 4 extra large egg whites (slightly beaten)
• 6 ounces pignoli (pine) nuts
• powdered sugar for dusting

Equipment

• Stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment
• 2 or 3 baking/cookie sheets
• parchment paper or silicone baking mats

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 or 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

2. Place the almond paste in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat for a few minutes on low/stir to smooth it out. Do not overbeat or it will become dry.

3. Add sugar, and the egg whites, then beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until creamy.

4. Let the batter rest for about 5-10 minutes (it will thicken up slightly).

5. Drop by rounded tablespoons (we use a cookie scoop) onto the lined cookie sheets, about 1 inch apart. Place about 15-20 pine nuts on each cookie, lightly pressing them in.

6. Bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, rotate the pans, and cook for an additional 7-9 minutes. Cookies should be golden brown on the bottom and at the edges, but only lightly colored on top. Do not over or under-bake.

7. Cool completely in the pans. Remove with a thin flexible spatula. Once completely cooled, sprinkle powdered sugar on them.

Kitchen notes

• • If you are buying the Odense brand of almond paste, please note they are sold in 7-ounce packages, not 8-ounce. For this reason, we prefer the Solo brand.

• • If we get any yolk in the egg whites, we usually put it aside to use for something else. We always separate our eggs into a clear dish before adding them to the remaining ingredients so we can correct for this (this is also a great idea if you are like us, and did an oopsy with the shells)! We have tried this recipe with large egg whites, but we usually over or undershoot the equivalent, and the cookies taste flat.

• • Use a cookie scoop to drop the batter right onto the cookie sheets. We use a #60 cookie scoop, which holds 1 tbsp+⅓ teaspoon of batter, or 0.54 ounces. If you don't have a cookie scoop, drop a heaping tablespoon of the cookie batter instead.

• • Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking (the bottoms can get sticky). We like to use a flexible spatula to transfer the cooled cookies to a wire rack .

Storage: Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week (at room temperature).