Pignoli Cookies

So I'm adding yet another random recipe to my blog. I lost interest in the whole "food blog" thing a few years ago, but having my favorite recipes online is always handy. I don't need to go searching through piles of books and when someone asks for a recipe...bam...here's the link!

So every Christmas since I was a teenager I have been making Christmas cookies for my family. Every year we spend a few days making thousands and thousands of cookies, dividing them all up and giving them out as gifts.

This was the very first year in about 16+ years that we didn't have our Christmas cookie extravaganza. I thought I would be more upset to let this tradition go, but to be honest I'm really glad that I did. I'm thoroughly looking forward to getting through this holiday season and starting a new year with a new purpose.

So out of the 20 some odd cookies I used to make, these Pignoli cookies were a new addition last year. I got an amazing recipe from a friend and expert so to say! All I'm going to say is that if you are looking for a recipe for an Italian cookie, you better go to the source.

I really wanted to make these so I decided that I would make at least one batch.

These are definitely one of my favorites, and definitely one I will be making every year to come, even if it is just so I can have them for myself.

1 lb of almond paste

½ lb of granulated sugar

3 egg whites

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Pine nuts

Preheat oven to 350. In a stand mixer, beat almond paste and sugar together until combined and grainy. Add egg whites one at a time and beat until a smooth paste has formed. Add vanilla and continue to beat for a few minutes. Spoon batter onto parchment lined baking sheets and sprinkle with pine nuts. OR spoon batter directly into a bowl full of pine nuts and cover the ball of batter completely. (Depends on how many pine nuts you can get a hold of.) Bake for 15-18 minutes until slightly browned. Let cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack.