Pignoli Cookies
- 7 ounces almond paste
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, plus more for dusting
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup pine nuts
- Preheat the oven to 350F, with racks in the center and lower third.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat almond paste and both sugars on medium speed until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 2 minutes.
- Add egg whites and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until a smooth paste forms, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add flour and salt; beat until combined, about 1 minute.
- Dough will be very soft and tacky.
- Place pine nuts in a small bowl.
- Scoop out a tablespoon of dough; using dampened fingers, drop dough into pine nuts, coating one side.
- Transfer rounds, coated side up, to prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
- Fill in any bare spots on rounds with remaining pine nuts.
- Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges of cookies and pine nuts have turned golden brown, 13 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer cookies on parchment to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Using an offset spatula, carefully loosen from parchment paper.
- Using a fine sieve, dust cookies with confectioners sugar.
- Cookies can be kept, stacked between layers of waxed or parchment paper, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Balls of almond-rich dough are dropped into a bowl of pine nuts to coat the tops before baking.
almond paste, granulated sugar, confectioners sugar, egg whites, vanilla, allpurpose, salt, pine nuts
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pignoli-cookies-390169 (may not work)