Paste di Mandorle e Pignoli
Paste di Mandorle e Pignoli·(pah-steh dee mahn-dor-leh eh peen-yoh-lee)
Weekend Bakery Box: Sunday Sweets and Cookie Tins
There is a sacred smell that belongs to Sunday afternoons in a first-generation Italian-American household: espresso hitting the carafe and the sweet, earthy aroma of toasted pine nuts from a bakery box. These cookies are the undisputed crown jewels of that box, a thousand-year-old Sicilian tradition often reduced over the decades to commercial shortcuts. To recreate the authentic, macaroon-like chew and crispy shell, you don't need expensive canned almond paste. You just need supermarket almond flour and the ultimate old-world secret: patience. The overnight rest is non-negotiable, forming a microscopic skin that locks the soft almond goodness inside and ensures the cookies hold their plump shape instead of melting flat in the heat of the oven.
Before you start
Separate the eggs cleanly.
Ensure absolutely no yolk contaminates the egg whites, as the fat will inhibit their structural binding power.
Ingredients
- blanched almond flour2 1/2 cup
- granulated sugar1 cup
- egg whites2 large
- honey1 tsp
- bitter almond extract1/2 tsp
- lemon zest1 tsp
- kosher salt1 pinch
- pine nuts1 1/2 cup
- egg white1 large
- powdered sugar1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Whisk together the dry ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the almond flour, granulated sugar, and kosher salt.
- 02
Mix the dough.
Pour the two frothy egg whites, honey, bitter almond extract, and lemon zest into the dry mixture, using your hands or a wooden spoon to mix until a thick, slightly sticky dough forms.
- 03
Roll and coat the cookies.
Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of dough and roll them into smooth balls. Dip the bottom of each lightly into the single beaten egg white to act as glue, then roll the entire ball generously in the pine nuts, pressing gently so they adhere.
- 04
Rest the dough overnight.
Place the coated cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate them uncovered for 10 to 12 hours; do not skip this step.
- 05
Bake until lightly toasted.
Preheat the oven to 325°F and bake on the middle rack for 14 to 16 minutes, just until the pine nuts turn a light golden brown and the cookies show tiny cracks.
- 06
Cool completely on the pan.
The cookies will be exceptionally fragile when hot, so let them cool completely on the baking sheet to firm up before moving them or dusting with powdered sugar.
Notes
Adjusting the dough consistency.
If the dough feels impossibly dry while mixing, add water a half teaspoon at a time. If it is too wet to roll, lightly dust in a little extra almond flour.
Sourcing and setting the pine nuts.
Standard supermarket pine nuts work perfectly for this weeknight bake. To ensure none go to waste, roll the dough balls firmly between your palms so the nuts embed deeply into the surface.