Italian Pine Nut Cookies

By far, the most popular cookie recipe among my extended family during the holidays. These chewy pinoli cookies are completely bursting with deep almond flavor. Pine nuts (pinoli) are pricy, but they’re such an excellent compliment in both texture and flavor, they’re worth using. If you want to be frugal, just place the pine nuts on the top of the cookies before baking; if you want to be decadent, roll the entire ball of cookie dough in the nuts before baking. Pine nuts are highly perishable so be sure to store them in an airtight container in the freezer.

Start with a bowl of pine nuts (try not to eat them before you make the cookies).

You’ll also need egg whites, confectioners sugar, and a pinch of fine salt.

And the star ingredient, pure almond paste (not marzipan). Canned almond paste is best…

But there are some packaged almond pastes that are ok - squeeze the package to see if the paste inside is soft. This brand uses a foil-wrapping inside the box. There are also foil-wrapped logs available that are usually ok, but I find the clear cellophane-wrapped logs are usually hard and dried out. Avoid hard almond paste if you can.

Here you can see the 2 different brands are 2 different colors, but that’s okay - the food processor is going to take care of that in no time.

Place the almond paste in the food processor (here’s the one I use) and pulse on and off until it resembles coarse sand.

The sight of ground almond paste makes me happy!

Add the confectioners sugar and salt to the ground almond paste.

Pulse a few more times until the confectioners sugar disappears, then add the egg white and process until a smooth paste forms.

I like to transfer the paste to a smaller container which makes it easier to work with. Use a #60 scoop (about 1 tablespoons) to portion out the sticky cookie dough.

Roll the dough in the pine nuts.

Place the pine nut coated balls of dough on a silicone lined half sheet pan and press the balls slightly so the pine nuts stick after baking.

Bake the cookies for 20 minutes and allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container for up to a week (best eaten within 3 or 4 days).

Items needed to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• digital scale https://amzn.to/3GGecXk

• #60 scoop https://amzn.to/3sD9vZw

• pure almond paste https://amzn.to/3suD1QU

• pine nuts https://amzn.to/3gELM5A

• silicone liners https://amzn.to/3Be5DBT

• commercial half sheet pans https://amzn.to/3JkoiyI

• my food processor https://amzn.to/3F4PYsw

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Italian Pine Nut Cookies (Pinoli)

makes 60 cookies (#60 scoop)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) canned pure almond paste (not almond filling or marzipan)

• 1 1/3 cups (150 grams) confectioners sugar

• 3 large (90 grams) egg whites, room temperature

• pinch of salt

• 1/2 pound (227 grams) pine nuts (aka pinoli)

• optional: confectioners sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F, place rack in center position, and line 2 half sheet pans with silicone liners.

2. Pulse almond paste in food processor until it resembles crumbs.

3. Add confectioners sugar and salt; pulse until it resembles sand.

4. Add egg whites and processes until a fine paste forms.

5. Use a #60 scoop to portion dough; roll in pine nuts and place on half sheet pan (12 per pan).

6. Flatten each ball of dough slightly and bake for 20 minutes; rest for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

7. Dust with additional confectioners sugar if desired.

Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint cookies are one of the classic cookies loved by so many during the holidays. This recipe calls for seedless raspberry jam, but feel free to use any flavor. Red jams look particularly festive, but I love the look of a platter piled high with a variety of different colored jams (like strawberry, apricot, lemon, etc). They’ll be the star attraction on your cookie buffet. If you like, dress them up with a drizzle of confectioners sugar glaze or royal icing.

The ingredients for the cookie dough are simple - butter, flour, confectioner’s sugar, almond extract, and salt. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can easily mix everything together by hand.

Almost done.

That took no time at all!

Time to portion out the dough. Use a #60 scoop (1 tablespoon).

The cookie dough is very soft so dip the cookies is granulated sugar so you can roll the dough in the palm of your hands without it sticking.

Rolled - now dip in the sugar again.

That was easy.

Place the sugared balls of dough on a Silpat-lined half sheet pan.

Flatten them slightly.

Make a well in the center of each, being careful not to push down too far (otherwise the jam will leak out during baking). You can use your finger to do this, but I like to use the handle of a wooden spoon….

Or a round 1/2 teaspoon measure.

Fill the wells with jam - I like to use a small demitasse spoon for this job. A regular spoon is a bit too big and can make a mess.

Enjoy!

Items used to make recipe:

(affiliate links)

• #60 scoop https://amzn.to/3Bf0R7q

• silpat liner https://amzn.to/3YtoZ10

• half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3uUfITF

• cookie spatula https://amzn.to/3su6WJ3

• pure almond extract https://amzn.to/3svjxMa

• demitasse spoons https://amzn.to/3Bf2emd

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Thumbprint Cookies

makes 20 cookies (#60 scoop)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

• 1/3 cup confectioners sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

• granulated sugar to roll cookie dough in

• 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam (or other fruit jam)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F with rack in center position and line 2 half sheet pans with silpat liners or parchment paper (I prefer silpats).

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a BeaterBlade or paddle attachment, mix the butter, flour, confectioners sugar, almond extract, and salt together until smooth and fully incorporated (scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed if not using BeaterBlade attachment).

3. Use a #60 scoop to portion dough; roll each portion into a ball and toss in granulated sugar.

4. Place balls of dough on lined sheet pan; flatten slightly make a small well in the center (do this with your finer, the handle of a wooden spoon, or a round 1/2 teaspoon measure.

5. Fill the wells with jam and transfer the sheet pan to the refrigerator so the cookie dough can chill for 10-15 minutes before baking.

6. Bake at 325F for 15 minutes; allow to rest for 10 minutes before transferring cookies to a rack to cool completely.