Pignoli Almond Cake Recipes

ALMOND, PINE NUT, APRICOT CRUMB CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan.
• Combine the whole almonds and 1/4 cup pine nuts in a food processor. Pulse the machine until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the nuts to a medium bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer beat the eggs and the sugar until the mixture becomes thick and pale yellow. Add the butter, and milk. Stir in the almond extract and apricots. Gently stir in the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds and remaining 1/4 cup pine nuts. Bake until the cake is cooked and a toothpick comes out clean, about 50 to 55 minutes. Let the cake cool on a wire rack. Use a knife to loosen the edges. Turn the cake out, slice, and serve.

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

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment; set aside.
• Add the almond paste and confectioners' sugar to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined.
• Add the egg white, honey, and salt and continue to pulse until the mixture is smooth and thick about 1 minute.
• Add pine nuts to a mixing bowl. Using a small cookie scoop portion the dough, one at a time, onto the pine nuts. Roll dough to cover with pine nuts. Place on prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart.
• Bake in preheated oven until edges are set and begin to brown, about 16-19 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

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 oven to 340 degrees
• Add eggs and about half of the sugar to the bowl of a standing mixer and beat on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy (see photos)
• Add flour and remaining sugar and almond extract and beat until everything has been well incorporated. The texture will be somewhat stiff but not overly dry (see photos)
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
• Form cookies into round balls that are a bit smaller than the size of a golfball
• In a small container, add the egg white with about a tablespoon of water and mix. In another small flat container, add the pignoli nuts
• Dip the top of each cookie into the egg white mixture, then dip into the nuts, slightly flatten the ball into a cookie shape, and place the cookie nut side up, on the lined cookie sheet
• Bake cookies for about 20 to 22 minutes until just slightly golden. Do NOT overbake as the cookies will be dry. Begin checking your cookies after about 15 minutes as oven temperatures/power may vary.

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.