Italian Pignoli Cookie are an Italian Sicilian classic cookie recipe that is similar to a macaroon. A crispy chewy and almond-y cookie, that is sure to become a family favorite, if it isn’t already.
The holidays are all about Family, Love, Faith and Presents. So, this week I will share a bit of our family and the holiday cookies they love. I will have faith that you will love the recipes as much as we do and for the present part I am doing a Baking Bonanza Giveaway all week! (details below)
My husband was raised by an Italian mother and his grandfather (his mother’s father) ran an Italian grocery store. He likes all things Italian, especially the food. He has very fond memories of his mothers cooking when he was a little boy and still asks for her to make her artichokes for him when we visit, the man loves them. He also fondly talks of all the times he would work in his grandfathers grocery store or help him in his garden.
Jim at the age of 4, he is so darn cute!
Jim and his mother, Carmen at her 80th birthday party!
Of course his favorite Christmas Cookie is the Italian Pignoli. A chewy almond goodie topped with Pine Nuts (Pignoli in Italian).
Because I love the guy so darn much I always am sure to make a batch up for him. These seem to be the first ones to disappear off the cookie plate during the holidays, so make sure you treat the ones you love with a taste of these little italian biscotto’s.
If you are a fan of italian cookies check out my recipe for Anisette Cookies.
- 8 ounces pignoli (pine nuts)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Dash salt
- 1 8-ounce can almond paste
- 2 egg whites, slightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
- Confectioner’s sugar for dusting
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with silpat liners or parchment. Place pine nuts “pignoli” in a shallow dish.
- Combine granulated sugar, confectioners’ sugar, flour and salt in a medium bowl and lightly toss.
- Place almond paste in a mixing bowl of an electric mixer and mix to break up. Add beaten egg whites and mix on low speed until smooth. Add almond extract and flour mixture and beat until flour is blended in, about 30 seconds. Do not over beat.
- Using a teaspoon or a scooper, scoop up a rounded spoon of dough and push dough side into the pine nuts so that they stick to dough. Ease dough out of scoop so that pine nuts are facing up on baking sheet. Place 2″ apart and re-apply any loose nuts.
- Bake cookies for about 25 minutes. Use the shorter baking time if you like soft cookies; the longer baking time if you like them chewy. Cool 1 minute and remove to a rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Gluten Free Almond Macaroons
Gluten Free Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies
Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Donuts {Dairy Free + Vegetarian}
Ricciarelli Cookie {gluten free}
Big Daddy is the best!! Thanks for the sweet pics and family recipe 🙂
I like gingerbread cookies.
I like biscotti
Spritz cookies are the cutest.
I will have to add these to my “holiday” baking recipes! Looks yummy!
Are you sure you’re supposed to put pignoli on a COOKIE?
I love sugar cookies made with Irish butter!
I love homemade turtles, the ones with pecans, caramel, and chocolate.
my favorite christmas cookies have to be sugar cookies with frosting!!
I love to make biscotti :)I did like 4 batches already 🙂
Andrea,
You sound as bad as me. When I get on a roll the cookies are being made!
I love pistachio chocolate biscotti’s, but always struggle with the cutting for the second baking.
Any tricks you can share?
Amy
FWIW, I use a Cutco serrated bread slicer. I assume the consistency of your first bake would be like that of the classic biscotti, the serrated knife tends to “saw” through the loaf nicely. The only problem I have is that the large pieces of hazelnut (or almonds if I go that route) tend to pull out of the cookie if I don’t cut very slowly.
Wow! Those look so amazingly good. I can’t wait to try them!
Thanks Lori, let me know what ya think!
My favorite Christmas cookie is a decorated sugar cookie!!!
oh mine too Megan!
I love all kinds of christmas cookies!! To me christmas is sugar cookies wrapped like candy canes and mexican wedding cookies and peanut butter blossoms and my grandma’s homemade fudge to go along with!
Greta,
You sound like my kinda girl. We could gorge on some cookies. I just got my moms homemade fudge recipe, I plan on making a batch to share this holiday!
xo Amy
I’m pretty simple, a good chocolate chip cookie is my favorite!
I like sugar cookies.
I love a classic chewy chocolate chip cookie!
I love SnickerDoodle cookies and sugar cookies shapes with sprinkles on them.
This recipe is easy and fairly quick. I loved how these cookies came out and have added them to my Christmas cookie list. Thank you for such a great pignoli cookie recipe!
Wow Kari, Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know that you added them to your cookie list. Makes me smile.
xo Amy
Amy….I live in Toronto, and I have searched high & low & back and forth for Pignoli cookies, without finding a crumb. My father is from Staten Island, NY and everytime we would visit the family, I stopped at the corner bakery and got me some Pignoli Cookies on the way in, during and on the way home from our visit. I tried a couple of recipes, but none were close to the texture of the one’s from the Staten Island bakery. I am going home to try your recipe tonight. I am soooooo excited. I’ll keep you posted!
Kathie,
Hope you loved them. It is one of my all time favorite cookies!
xo Amy
I made the Pignoli cookies and they are awesome. I got compliments from friends that said the Pignoli cookies they bought in NY from an Italian bakery are not as good as mine. Thank you for sharing!
I have so many fond memories of these Pignoli cookies and my Italian heritage. I absolutely love them. This recipe looks delicious.
Thanks Melissa.
Italian cookies are always such a lovely addition to a cookie platter! I love the use of pine nuts and almond paste here – I bet they’re delicious!
They reall yare Faith, I hope you give them a try.
I never turn down another cookie recipe! I love how easy these look, and they are something I have never had before. I bet you have had some of the best Italian food!
Yep my mother n law knows how to throw out some great food! We always look forward to sitting at her table.
I love pignolis but have never made them myself. I grew up with an Italian grandmother who loved to cook and bake and can completely relate to the cooking memories. Such a great recipe, Amy. I’m looking forward to trying it.
They are super simple to make Joanie, I hope you give them a try.
I’ve seen these cookies at the bakery before but I never knew what they tasted like. I had no idea they were almond!
They are really great Lauren, you will love them.
I need to asked my hubby if he is familiar with these! He’s from the north of Italy and I love making him Italian treats!
Let me know what he thinks, I think I love every Italian pastry my mother n law has ever placed in front of me. I should have been born in Italy!
It sounds as though your husband has so many good memories of time with his grandparents. I adore pignoli and can imagine how thrilled he was when you made these for him!
It is pretty amaziing how we associate food with our memories. My hubby was pretty darn happy when I baked up a batch of these for him.
i have tried a few recipes for pignoli cookies but this is the best…the cookies are so delicious. they taste and look like i bought them in a bakery. thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you so much Patti. I definitely tried to get the recipe as close to the store bought kind as I could, so your compliment means a lot!
I have a recipe that I have been using for years but I’d like to try yours since it incorporates confectioners sugar and flour which my recipe doesn’t use. A little trick I have used to make the dough more manageable is to put the bowl with the dough right into the freezer for about 30 minutes before you spoon them out. You’ll find that they aren’t as sticky, and if your hands do start to get a little bit sticky, just dip your hand into a little water then form the dough into a ball and dip into the Pignoli nuts. Works great.
I was raised in Brooklyn NY and hve loved pignoli since very, very young . Now 79 and found your recipe…..
Going to try it…sounds like I WILL like them…Maybe help sis in law some dough so shee doesnt have to send me any on birthday /anniversery, easter and Christmas..HA. thanks By the way ,I am first generation Italian Sicilian…My Dad came from Catania right near Etna what stories…….
First recipe I tried for this type of cookie, I rarely bake. The directions were easy, I found parchment paper worked much better than silpat. It also took a few extra minutes in the oven than specified, but they came out perfect and tasted great!