Pignoli Cookies
Given the price of pine nuts (pignoli), these cookies wouldn’t really be in the budget recipe category. BUT…they take no time at all to prepare and they’re so good that when you take into account what your time is worth, making these is a BARGAIN! (If you live near a Costco in the U.S., they sell a 1 1/2 lb. bag which makes it worthwhile – and then you can find all sorts of other creative things to cook with pine nuts…including pesto). The small bit of flour makes the dough a little easier to form but you can omit it and have a great gluten-free cookie. Adapted from a recipe in Lidia’s Italy in America, this super easy, soft and chewy cookie is a real treat.
- 1½ c. pine nuts
- Two 7 oz. tubes of almond paste
- 1 c. sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 2 T. flour
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Spread the pine nuts on a plate.
- Break up the almond paste in the bowl of a food processor and process until the paste is broken up and crumbly-about 1 minute.
- Add the sugar, egg whites, flour and lemon zest and process until smooth, about 15-30 seconds.
- Form the dough into small golf-sized balls and roll in the pine nuts (the dough will be very sticky) and put on the baking sheets.
- Bake 13-17 minutes until golden.
- Makes about 18-20 cookies.
Meet Laney Sachs
I’m not just enthusiastic about travel—I live travel, each and every day. From plotting out my clients’ next great escape, to logging airmiles on my own adventures (I always have a suitcase packed and at the ready!), travel drives me in everything I do.
I’ve learned a few things along the way, and I’d love to share them with you. Learn a bit more about my journey to founding my own travel agency—it involves quite a few glasses of Italian wine!
