Pine nuts have a distinctive sweet nutty taste and they are used in many savoury and sweet preparations such as pesto and here as a the crunchy topping for the Italian sweets called Pignoli Pine Nut and Almond Cookies. As they are prepared with almond flour, these treats are gluten free and also dairy free, perfect for those who are gluten intolerant. But you wouldn’t know it as these are absolutely delicious. Soft and chewy centres, loaded with almond flavour and a hint of lemon, then enclosed in sweet and nutty Pine Nuts! Perfect with an espresso.

Almond and Pine Nut Cookies — Soft chewy centres with a hint of Lemon and covered in Pine Nuts

I was given a box of these goodies by a friend and I’ve been wanting to make them ever since. After a quick online search, I found out that the recipes called for Almond Paste, which is not readily available in the shops here in Sydney. Also, I couldn’t understand why you would use a paste only to break it up again to make the dough. So my version, although not very authentic, tastes just as good as the original. And as a bonus, it is also easier to make and using readily available ingredients. Everything you need will probably already in your fridge or pantry except maybe for the Pine Nuts.

As with most Italian cookies, these are shaped by hands- no complicated gadgets required. Think Amaretti Cookies, which incidentally is also gluten and dairy free. Another gluten free and dairy free cookie which is absolutely delicious and a favourite, is my sister in law’s Persian Pistachio Crinkle Cookies.

Pignoli Cookies — Don’t they look like cute hedgehogs?

What you need to make Pignoli

Almond Flour or Almond Meal ,Caster and Icing Sugar(or Icing Mixture), Pine Nuts, pinch of salt
Flavourings : Almond Essence, Vanilla Extract or Paste and finely grated zest of 1 Lemon. Almond Essence is optional; its good if you have it, but not a deal breaker if you don’t.

Almond Meal vs Almond Flour

While both Almond Meal and Almond Flour are made of ground almonds, they are processed differently. Almond Meal is coarser and is darker in colour as it’s made by grinding whole unpeeled almonds. It is also cheaper. Almond Flour is finer in texture as it’s made from peeled blanched almonds. I have used both for making Pignoli and I can’t really notice the difference, so you can use either in this recipe. Where a finer texture is crucial as in making a frangipane tart or macaroons, then I would use almond flour.

Easy does it…

Pignoli Almond Cookies — Combine the almond flour and sugar; whisk the egg whites until frothy, roll into balls and roll in Pine Nuts.

Combine almond meal with caster sugar and sifted icing sugar. Do not skip sifting the icing sugar or you’ll end up with lumps.
Whisk egg whites until frothy then mix in the almond essence and vanilla extract. Whisk by hand or use an electric whisk. Add the the mix and stir until combined. The dough will be sticky
Place pine nuts into a plate . Roll the dough into walnut sized pieces with damp hands (prevents sticking) and roll them in pine nuts to coat. If you have a small cookie scoop, use that scoop the dough so cookies are uniform in size. Coat the balls with pine nuts on one side only or completely coat all over. The choice is up to you.
Place in a baking paper lined tray with a little bit of space in between.
Bake in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until pale golden.
Cool completely then dust with icing sugar.