Pignoli Almond Cake Recipes

PIGNOLI ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F Liberally grease an 8.5x4.5x2.5 loaf pan and line with parchment.
• Bring butter to room temperature in the work bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl). Split the vanilla beans and scrape out the seeds; add to butter. Add sugar and lemon juice and beat on medium using paddle attachment until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each addition.
• Chop half the pine nuts coarsely and set aside. Stir together flour and almonds. Add 1/3 of the dry mixture, and beat just to combine. Add another 1/3 of the mixture and repeat. Add the remaining dry ingredients with the lemon zest and chopped pine nuts and stir to combine.
• Toss remaining pine nuts with salt. Spoon batter into prepared pan, top with salted pine nuts and bake 60 minutes, or until a skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan.

PIGNOLI COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line sheet trays with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with the paddle attachment, beat the almond paste on high speed until it is really broken up. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix on slow speed until well combined.
• Add the honey, cinnamon, salt, egg whites and lemon zest and beat on medium speed until the mixture is well combined and very thick, about 5 minutes.
• Fill a disposable pastry bag with the dough. Push the dough towards the tip and cut the tip off the bag. Pipe 1-inch balls onto the prepared sheet trays. Top with the pine nuts, pressing them into the dough to secure. Bake until the cookies are golden, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Pine nutty!

ITALIAN PIGNOLI COOKIES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat almond paste and sugar until crumbly. Beat in 2 egg whites. Gradually add confectioners' sugar; mix well., Whisk remaining egg whites in a shallow bowl. Place pine nuts in another shallow bowl. Shape dough into 1-in. balls. Roll in egg whites and coat with pine nuts. Place 2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten slightly., Bake at 325° until lightly browned, 15-18 minutes. Cool for 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

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.

PIGNOLI COOKIES I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line 2 cookie sheets with foil; lightly grease foil.
• Mix almond paste and granulated sugar in food processor until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and 2 egg whites; process until smooth.
• Whisk remaining 2 egg whites in small bowl. Place pine nuts on shallow plate. With lightly floured hands, roll dough into 1 inch balls. Coat balls in egg whites, shaking off excess, then roll in pine nuts, pressing lightly to stick. Arrange balls on cookie sheets, and flatten slightly to form a 1 1/2 inch round.
• Bake 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let stand on cookie sheet 1 minute. Transfer to wire rack to cool.