Gluten Free Italian Pignoli Cookies Food

PIGNOLI COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Break apart the almond paste in the bowl of a food processor. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, salt and egg white and pulse until smooth. Scoop 1-tablespoon balls of dough directly into the pine nuts and gently roll them in the pine nuts, pressing gently to adhere. (The dough is soft but the pine nuts will help make it easier to handle.)
• Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned around the edges and puffed, 16 to 18 minutes. Allow to cool completely on the tray before removing them with an offset spatula.

GLUTEN-FREE ITALIAN PIGNOLI COOKIES

Steps:

• Set oven racks in the center and lower third and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place pine nuts in a bowl.
• Beat almond paste, cane sugar, and confectioners' sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until crumbly. Add egg whites and vanilla; beat on medium speed until a smooth paste forms, 3 to 4 minutes. Add flour and salt and beat until combined; dough will be very tacky.
• Scoop 1 tablespoon dough and use damp hands to drop it into the pine nuts, coating one side. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet with the nuts facing up. Repeat to form remaining cookies.
• Bake cookies in the preheated oven, rotating halfway through, until the edges are golden brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for briefly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• Dust cooled cookies with confectioners' sugar.

PIGNOLI COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Process the almond paste, confectioners' sugar and salt together in a food processor until crumbly. Add the egg whites and continue to process into a smooth dough.
• Roughly chop the pignolis and place them in a bowl. Roll tablespoon-sized pieces of the dough into balls, then roll in the chopped pignolis to loosely coat. Arrange on the prepared cookie sheets 3 inches apart. Bake 20 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool. Cookies will last about 2 weeks in an airtight container.