Reviewed: Oct. 17, 2009

The flavor is good but the baking is horrible. I left them baking far longer than was stated in the recipie. I put them back I don't know how many times at 2 and 3 minute pops. I didn't read the reviews as I do most of the time because I was in a hurry. Per the reviews, perhaps parchment paper would have done the trick. I buttered and floured the pan and the cookies still stuck. They didn't brown like I thought they should and they were very gooey in the middle of the cookie. It was a big if, IF I got them off the pan without breaking. I am a baker and make tons of cookies, especially at Christmas time. Very unlikely that I will make these again. The ingredients are far too expensive to land up with a pile of crumbs.

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MSROSYROSU

Cooking Level: Expert

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Reviewed: Sep. 9, 2009

I am from Brooklyn and grew up eating these. This is a great recipe and they taste very authentic. I actually cut the recipe in half and used a 7oz tube of almond paste and it worked perfectly! The only thing that you should know is that if you are making these for someone who needs them gluten free, check your almond paste first. Odense almond paste is NOT gluten free!

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penny p.

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: New York, New York, USA

Living In: Seattle, Washington, USA

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Reviewed: Sep. 2, 2009

Great easy recipe! I did the whole thing in the food processor. I even whipped the egg whites in the smaller insert of my food processor. They only got to soft peaks but it still worked fine. YUM!

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Mamakins

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Reviewed: Jul. 2, 2009

This is the best and easiest Pignoli cookie I've been able to find. I've been hunting for a good gluten free (make sure you use a GF almond paste) dairy free cookie and this is it. I use parchment paper to line my cookie sheet and my stand mixer to break up the paste and blend in the sugar and have always had wonderful results. Only problem is these cookies don't last long in my house. They're gone before you know it.

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HBravo

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Reviewed: Jan. 20, 2009

Although the taste was good, (a little bit too sweet, but good), these cookies completely lost their form while baking. They turned into one big film of sticky cookie. I might try this again with some flour, but I will probably just find a new recipe.

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Alyssa

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Christiansburg, Virginia, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 18, 2009

This is a great recipe!! These cookies are my hubby's favorite so I decided to make them to see what he thought of them and he gave them a 5 out of 5 stars. I wish I had sauteed the nuts before adding them to the tops (as someone suggested) because that was the only difference between the bakery and this recipe...definitely will remember to do that next time! The parchment paper is a must...no problem with removal and letting the mix chill in the fridge helps with placement. Be sure to make your balls small and completely covered with nuts because they spread out. If you want your cookies to taste like they came from the bakery than you need to use 1 cup of white sugar...it's not too sweet...but just right. It's the closest to the bakery cookie as you're going to get and that's coming from an Italian that grew up eating these cookies. Some reviewers said this was messy but I didn't think it was any messier than other cookies I've made. Put them in a tin lined with waxed paper after they cool to stay fresh...if you can keep them that long, lol. Thank you so much for sharing. I will definitely make these again and again!

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SuzyHomemaker

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Noblesville, Indiana, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 23, 2008

They taste absolutley great! I tried this batch twice, once with Odense & then a double btach with Solo almond paste. Odense's batch was rounder and the Solo's were flatter. They do take about 20 munites to bake for them to be brown. Let them cool all the way before taking them off and they wont stick. I used non stick foil. They are a little messy. Who cares! Just wear an apron and get over it! They are great cookies either flat or fluffy!

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Biker Chick

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Elmont, New York, USA

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Reviewed: Sep. 16, 2008

Delicious flavor and soft, chewy consistency, Mmm! I only used 2/3 cups of sugar and I refrigerated the mix for about 20 minutes before I spooned them out to bake. I baked them on aluminum foil (shiny side up) and they came off much more easily than they did off of the parchment paper. I will be making these again for sure!

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ssejaclop

Cooking Level: Beginning

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Reviewed: Dec. 23, 2007

I, too, have made both Pignoli recipes on this site and find this recipe to be superior. I bake these every year around Christmas time and they always get raves and requests for the recipe. I have used parchment paper and had no problems, but i usually use a silpat silicone mat and that works best. I agree that you may not need to use all of the egg white. I doubled this recipe and still only needed 2 whites.

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cookiemonster

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Reviewed: Dec. 22, 2007

The cookie base was very good and the nuts help to cut the sweetness. I may have used too many nuts though because it seemed like they were missing salt. I did use 2/3c sugar as suggested by another reviewer. These would be far too sweet with a full cup of sugar.

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Marie C.

Cooking Level: Expert

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Reviewed: Dec. 13, 2007

I had never heard of pignoli cookies, but thought the recipe sounded fun to try. Found out that almond paste and pine nuts are expensive! Nice flavor overall. For baking it, I used parchment paper instead of greasing/flouring--just let the cookies sit for a few minutes after taking them out of the oven, then gently work them off the parchment and slide onto wire rack. The next time I will also try: Less sugar, and using a stand mixer with paddle attachment to break up the almond paste (my little food processor didn't really break it up enough, I had chunks of almond paste in the ending cookies), and making the cookies much smaller--the recipe doesn't really give a hint as to size, but I think bite-size is better as these are very intense sweet, rich cookies. They do puff out a bit when baking, so plan your spacing accordingly.

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doestreich

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Oct. 23, 2007

turned out exactly as I hoped. Chewy and delicious.

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dm

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Reviewed: Jun. 21, 2007

what an amazing cookie- everyone asks me to bring them now anywhere I go! not too sweet- perfect with wine... even my Italian husband's family who are VERY picky about Italian desserts loved them.

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Aphioni

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Mar. 16, 2007

These are great. Use Release Foil on an unsided cookie sheet (they won't stick at all. I also used a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop not quite full, so my cooking time was longer. I will definitely make again - much better than our local bakery and cheaper too.

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Ginger C.

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Red Bank, New Jersey, USA

Living In: Windermere, Florida, USA

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Reviewed: Feb. 5, 2007

Thanks for the awesome recipe! I prepared these for my dad's birthday...they're his favorite. He said it was the best gift of all. Thanks!!

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Mrs. Smith

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Reviewed: Jan. 5, 2007

Tough to make but they were very tasty.

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Krista

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Dec. 18, 2006

I have been making these italian delicacies for years, A hint to anyone trying to use a floured pan or parchment paper...forget it! You have to use the shiny side up of foil paper, lightly sprayed with butter flavored PAM. The reflective side up will not burn the cookies. Just do not attempt to lift them off of the foil until 10 minutes after they come out of the oven or else they will crumble as most cookies will. If you have access to a restaurant supply warehouse as i do buy the almond paste in the 5 pound can and it costs only about $12.00 it lasts forever and the cost of the little tubes in the supermarket will run you $5.00 each or higher. that's why the Italian Bakeries charge $14.00 a pound for these cookies. theirs are made with flour(cheaper version) and get hard quickly. Store these cookies in a tin with foil on top and they will last the whole holiday season! Enjoy... Don't forget to put the pignoli's in a saute pan for a few minutes to release the natural oils that are necessary to permeate and enhance the wonderful almond flavoring.

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ROSSELLI

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Reviewed: Dec. 16, 2006

Even though this Pignoli cookie recipe has fewer reviews, it is the better one (and I made both). If you are using 8 oz. of almond paste (I used solo that comes in the can), you can only use two eggs whites. If you use too many egg whites your cookies will be a completely flattened. The only change I made to the recipe was to use 2/3 cup of sugar and not 1 cup because they were just too sweet. Other than that, this recipe is perfect! You will have beautiful pignoli cookies that taste like they came from an Italian bakery (this coming from a Jersey girl who had eaten alot of good Italian bakery cookies!) You can't go wrong with this recipe.

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