Italian Almond Paste Cookies (Paste di Mandorla)

Paste di Mandorla or Italian Almond Paste Cookies are a traditional Sicilian cookie. They’re soft and chewy and full of delicious almond flavor. Super easy to make too.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

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

• large piping bags https://amzn.to/3Ev5iLy

• large star piping tube https://amzn.to/3nLr9Yn

• silpat nonstick baking mat https://amzn.to/3muHp0l

• almond flour https://amzn.to/3WmnjFP

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3ovS9fE

• pure almond extract https://amzn.to/34DcoBp

• glace, glazed, or candied cherries https://amzn.to/3hBMKmW

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Italian Almond Paste Cookies (Paste di Mandorla)

Makes 24 cookies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 250 grams almond flour, sifted

• 150 grams confectioner’s sugar, sifted

• pinch of salt

• 3 egg whites

• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 12 maraschino cherries, drained and cut in half (or glace, glazed, or candied cherries)

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, and salt; set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites, almond extract, and vanilla extract until very frothy (no liquid egg white in the bottom of the bowl).

3. Immediately stir the frothy egg whites into the almond flour mixture until a thick paste forms and no traces of dry ingredients remain (this can be done in a food processor too).

4. Transfer the cookie dough to a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip.

5. Pipe the cookie dough into 2-inch swirls (as shown) on silpat-lined half sheet pans, and press a cherry half into the center of each cookie.

6. Chill cookie dough for an hour before baking (or freeze for 20 minutes).

7. Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in center of oven.

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cookies brown on the edges; allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Notes

• Almond meal may be used in place of almond flour. You can also make almond flour by grinding blanched almonds in a food processor until until finely ground.

• Sheet pans can be lined with parchment instead of a silpat liners, but the parchment is more difficult to pipe the sticky cookie dough onto.

• Glace, Glazed, or Candied cherries can be used in place of maraschino cherries.

Italian Pine Nut Cookies

By far, the most popular cookie recipe among my extended family during the holidays. These chewy pignoli cookies are completely bursting with deep almond flavor. Pine nuts (pignolis) 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).

Start with 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 mine) 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, Pignoli, Pinon)

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, pignoli, pinon)

• 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.