Italian Pignoli Cookies

Of all the cookies that are around in the world for the tasting, these Pignoli cookies rank the highest on my list of true favorites! I have a friend of Italian heritage who will (every once-in-a-blue-moon) make these cookies for a party or something, and she always makes just a few extra for me! A true delight these little cookies!

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces, weight Pignoli (pine Nuts)
• ½ cups Granulated Sugar
• ½ cups Confectioners Sugar
• ¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 dash Salt
• 8 ounces, weight Almond Paste
• 2 whole Egg Whites
• ½ teaspoons Almond Or Vanilla Extract

Directions: Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Line 2 cookie sheets with Silpat liners or parchment. Place pine nuts or pignoli in a shallow dish.

Combine granulated sugar, confectioners sugar, flour and salt in a medium bowl and lightly toss.

Place almond paste in a mixing bowl of an electric mixer and mix to break up. Add beaten egg whites and mix on low speed until smooth. Add almond extract and flour mixture and beat until flour is blended in, about 30 seconds. Do not over-beat.

Using a teaspoon or a scooper, scoop up a rounded spoon of dough and push the dough side into the pine nuts so that they stick to the dough.

Ease dough out of scoop so that pine nuts are facing up on baking sheet. Place 2″ apart and re-apply any loose nuts.

Bake cookies for about 25 minutes. Use a shorter baking time if you like soft cookies and a longer baking time if you like them chewy. Cool 1 minute and remove to a rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners sugar.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Happy Baking & Bon Appétit!

Recipe Credit

The Pioneer Woman~Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

Hi Everybody!  My family loves making this sweet bread for brunch or serving it with coffee or tea whenever we have company come over.  It really is a special treat!  I recommend visiting Ree Drummonds original Post of this recipe because she did an amazing tutorial to go with it!  Click> HERE <to go to the original recipe post.  Hope you all enjoy! 🙂

Ingredients: For the Dough

• 2 cups Whole Milk
• 1/2 cup Canola Oil
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2-1/4 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
• 4 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup (additional) All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 1 stick Butter, Melted
• 1-1/2 cup Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon

Icing:

• 3 cups Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• 1 Tablespoon Maple Extract
• 1/3 cup Whole Milk
• Dash Of Salt

Directions:

• To make the dough, combine milk, canola oil, and 1/2 cup sugar in a large saucepan. Heat it until very hot but not boiling. Turn off heat and allow to cool to warm (not at all hot.)

• Sprinkle in the yeast and add 4 cups of flour. Stir to combine, then put lid on the pot and allow to rise for 1 hour. After 1 hour, stir in additional 1/2 cup flour, along with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. If dough is overly sticky, stir in another 1/2 cup flour.

• Place dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour to make it easier to work with.

• Roll out dough onto a floured surface. Drizzle on melted butter and smear so that it covers all the dough. Mix together the sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle it all over the surface of the dough. (Dough should look very covered.)

• Cut the dough into 6 to 8 strips, then stack all the strips into one stack. Cut the stack of strips into 6 slices. Place the stacks sideways into a buttered bread pan. Do not cram the slices into the pan. (You may have a few leftover.)

• Cover with a dish towel and allow to rise for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, checking at 20 minutes to make sure it’s not getting too brown on top. It’s important to bake the bread long enough to ensure that the middle won’t be too doughy, because if it is it won’t pull apart easily. If the top looks like it’s getting too brown, cover it lightly with aluminum foil for the rest of the baking time. REPEAT: IT’S IMPORTANT TO BAKE THE BREAD LONG ENOUGH FOR THE CENTER TO NO LONGER BE DOUGHY.

• Remove the pan from the oven when it’s done. Run a knife along the edges and take the bread out of the pan. Mix together the icing ingredients and drizzle over the top, allowing it to sink into the crevices. Serve warm or room temperature!

(Note: You can do a cranberry-orange version with orange marmalade, brown sugar, and dried cranberries!Or you can also add cloves and more cinnamon if you prefer a stronger flavor with raisins! When we make this we also enjoy spreading a cream cheese frosting on top.)

Bon Appètit!

Photo & Recipe credit The Pioneer Woman.com