Grammy's Recipe Book Desserts

Pignoli Cookies

325°F ovenabout 34 cookies

Prep
30 min
Cook
24 min
Rest
20 mincool
Total
1 hr 14 minstart to eating

Times are our estimates for Grammy's recipe, with unhurried prep.

Grammy's handwritten page for Pignoli Cookies
Page 39 · full size

As written

Word for word from her page, with her spelling and line breaks. [?] marks a word we couldn't read.

325° 1" cookie scoop
- approx 34 cookies
Pignoli Cookies

1 can marzipan 11 ounces
5 TBSP sugar
salt
1 1/4 tsp. almond extract
2-3 drops lemon oil optional
1/2 cup almond flour
1 egg white jumbo or ex large preferred
1 1/4 cups pignoli nuts

2 baking sheets - parchment
Break marzipan into med bowl
Mix in sugar, salt + flavorings and
almond flour (will be crumbly)
Add egg white beating until smooth
if not together dribble in water until it
does
Drop 1" balls into pine nuts
Place on baking pans 1" apart
Bake 22-24 min. till lightly browned
Cool 5 min in pan then remove to cool
completely

Grammy's recipe

Her recipe, typed out to cook from: her amounts and her words, with abbreviations spelled out and the steps numbered.

Ingredients

  • 1 can (11 ounces) marzipan
  • 5 tablespoons sugar
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1¼ teaspoons almond extract
  • 2–3 drops lemon oil (optional)
  • ½ cup almond flour
  • 1 egg white (jumbo or extra large preferred)
  • 1¼ cups pignoli (pine) nuts

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 325° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
  2. Break the marzipan into a medium bowl. Mix in the sugar, salt, flavorings and almond flour. It will be crumbly.
  3. Add the egg white, beating until smooth. If it doesn’t come together, dribble in water until it does.
  4. Drop 1-inch balls (a 1-inch cookie scoop) into the pine nuts to coat.
  5. Place on the pans 1 inch apart and bake 22–24 minutes, till lightly browned.
  6. Cool 5 minutes on the pan, then move them to cool completely.

Ideas to play with

Twists and variations to try. Suggestions, not hers.

  • Almond paste vs. marzipan

    Almond paste has less sugar and gives a chewier, less sweet cookie. Try one batch each way.

  • Orange

    Use the lemon-oil option or a little orange zest for a citrus note.

  • Chocolate bottoms

    Dip the cooled bottoms in melted dark chocolate.

  • Christmas tray

    They keep a week airtight and freeze well, so they’re good to make ahead for the cookie tray.