Pignoli Amaretti Cookies

Pignoli Amaretti Cookies (Pine Nut Cookies)

Adapted from Sweet Maria’s Italian Cookie Tray
Recipe from: http://angelninascottage.com

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs almond paste (broken into pebble sized pieces)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

4 egg whites

2 cups pine nuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine almond paste with sugars in food processor and pulse till size of pebbles.

Add mixture to mixer and add egg whites, mix on low till blended, then medium speed for a few minutes.  This will make a sticky dough.

Roll dough into 1″ balls.  Roll in pine nuts, or roll tops and sides in pine nuts.  Place on lined (parchment or silicon) cookie sheet 2″ apart.  Using your fingers, slightly flatten tops of cookies.

Bake for 15-20  minutes or till golden brown.  Remove cookie sheets from oven.  Allow cookies to cool on parchment for easier removal.  When cookies are cool use a metal spatula to loosen from parchment.

Store in an airtight container.

Approx 50 cookies

I highly suggest using the silicon mats or parchment–these are sticky little buggers!

Wet your hands with water while forming the cookies–it really helps!

Kitchen Adventure...

...Rainbow Cookies!

I have been craving rainbow cookies, cannolis and other NY treats lately, so I decided it was time to whip out the stand mixer and experiment in the kitchen with a recipe.

Rainbow Cookies recipe from BonAppetit

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. plus 2 cups unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
• 12 oz. almond paste (not marzipan), chopped
• 2 3/4 cups plus 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. red food coloring
• 1 tsp. green food coloring
• 3/4 cup orange marmalade, heated, strained
• 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped, melted

Special Equipment

• 3 13x9x2" metal baking pans

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line three 13x9x2" metal baking pans with foil, leaving overhang; grease with 2 Tbsp. butter; set aside. 
2. Put egg whites in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk; beat until soft peaks form. Slowly add 1/3 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a large bowl; cover; chill.
3. Using the paddle attachment, beat almond paste and remaining sugar on medium-low until incorporated, 4-5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high; gradually add remaining butter. Beat until fluffy. Beat in yolks, then flour and salt. Fold in whites in 2 additions.
4. Divide batter evenly among 3 bowls. Mix red coloring into 1 bowl and green coloring into second bowl; leave third bowl plain. 
5. Spread 1 bowl of batter into each prepared pan; smooth tops. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until just set, 12 minutes. Let cool in pans.
6. With a pastry brush, spread half of marmalade over green cake. Using foil overhang, lift plain layer out of pan. Invert onto green layer; discard foil. Brush remaining marmalade over plain layer. Lift red layer out of pan; invert onto plain layer and cover cake with foil.
7. Top with a 13x9x2" pan. Weigh down pan with several heavy canned goods to compress cake layers. Refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 1 day (we chose to do 24 hour wait time).
8. Remove cans, top pan, and foil. Transfer cake to a waxed paper-lined baking sheet.
9. Spread half of chocolate over cake in a thin layer. Freeze for 10 minutes. Cover with waxed paper, invert the baking sheet on top, and flip cake. 
10. Uncover and glaze with remaining chocolate. Freeze 10 additional minutes.
11. Trim cake to 12x8". Cut crosswise into six 2"-wide strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 96 1/2"-wide cookies. 
12. Store in an airtight container.

So far this recipe has been simple and straightforward..just time-consuming. We will see how tomorrow goes with the chocolate.


12/3/11


The cake before chocolate was added...

Labor Cookie Recipe...

Might be something to try if Baby G remains stubborn or my body does not choose to progress....

Recipe:

2 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 t. cinnamon
1 t. Ground Ginger
1/2 t. Ground Cloves
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
8 T. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. molasses
1/4 c. egg whites

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  combine flour backing soda and spices and set asides (both of my friends doubles the spices in the recipes to try and bring labor really on).  Cream the butter and sugars together.  Add the molasses to the creamed butter, then add the egg whites until combined.  Add the dry ingredients slowly.  Once incorporated roll dough into 1 inch ball and place onto the backing sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes.  Once cool eat as many as you can possibly stomach, and lay down for a nap and wait for labor to begin.