Pignoli Crunch Cookies

By joanmarie

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 1 tube (7 oz.) almond paste
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups (10 oz.) pine nuts (pignoli)

Details

Preparation time 25mins
Cooking time 15mins
Adapted from rachelrayeveryday.com

Preparation

Step 1

Position rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees . In a food processor, pulse the almonds to a fine powder (don't grind to a paste). In a large bowl, crumble the almond paste into small pieces. Add the sugar and egg whites. Using an electric mixer on low, beat until blended. Increase the speed to medium; beat, stopping often to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until smooth. Add the ground almonds; beat on low until blended.

Place the pine nuts in a bowl. Using a 1-inch (2 tsp.) cookie scoop, drop the dough into the nuts; turn to coat. Repeat with the remaining dough and pine nuts. Place on a nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until the pine nuts are light golden brown and the cookies are a bit springy when touched, rotating the sheet halfway through baking, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack; let cool. Repeat with the remaining dough on clean, cold baking sheets.