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.

Super Chewy Molasses Cookies

Yummy and chewy, chewy, chewy is how I describe these fantastic molasses cookies. They’re my new cookie obsession! The intoxicating sweet and spicy aroma of these cookies will pull you in, and their delicious flavor and chewy texture will keep you coming back for more!

Feel free to pull out your stand mixer if you like, but this simple recipe can easily be mixed with a hand mixer.

Start by whisking together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, and table salt in a medium mixing bowl.

Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, molasses, and egg.

This is when your mouth is going to start watering…. you’ve been warned.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry.

Mix on medium speed until no traces of dry ingredients remain. Chill the dough before the next step.

Use a #50 scoop to portion the dough. You can place the dough directly on a silicone-lined half sheet pan, or….

Roll the dough in the palm of your hands; then coat with granulated sugar.

Sometimes time is a factor and rolling the dough can eat up precious minutes in one’s schedule, but I have to say, the sugar-coated cookies look the most festive after baking.

Bake as directed and allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container to maintain chewiness.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• hand mixer https://amzn.to/3gBebJF

• silicone baking liner https://amzn.to/3Bp3mEh

• half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3oC6rLW

• #50 cookie scoop https://amzn.to/3JdIVN6

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Super Chewy Molasses Cookies

makes 24 cookies (#50 scoop)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/2 teaspoon table salt

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 3/4 cup neutral flavor vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup molasses

• 1 large egg

• optional: 1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275F and place rack in center position.

2. Line 2 half sheet pans with silicone liners; set aside until needed.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt; set aside.

4. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, molasses, and egg.

5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and use and hand mixer to combine on medium speed until no traces of dry ingredients remain.

6. Cover the dough and chill for at least 15 minutes before moving to the next step.

7. Use a #50 scoop to portion dough, 12 cookies per silicone-lined half sheet pan (optional, roll dough into balls and coat with granulated sugar before baking).

8. Bake cookies, one tray at a time, in center of preheated oven for 18-20 minutes.

9. Remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

10. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Note

• If the cookies lose their chewiness, place in an airtight container with a damp paper towel and they will soften nicely within a few hours.

adapted from Shelby at The Queens Cabinet.