Italian Pine Nut Cookies

                                                    (Biscotti ai pinoli)

2 cups ground almonds

1 ½ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

6 oz almond paste (I use homemade)

3 egg whites

½ cup pine nuts (pinoli)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Have ready two cookie sheets, lined with parchment.

In a bowl, mix together all ingredients, except the pine nuts.

Mix by hand to obtain a fairly firm dough.  It will be sticky, so keep some confectioners’ sugar on hand to dust on dough occasionally.

Break little pieces of the dough, roll in your hands into little balls, about 1 1/2 –inch  each.  Arrange them on the cookie sheets, about 1 ½ inches apart.  Take some pine nuts and press a generous amount on each cookie.  Press down to flatten cookies.

Bake 30 minutes, until they look firm, puffy and slightly browned.  Center should still be soft.

These cookies are chewy, with a crisp crust.

Makes about 35 cookies.