Amaretti With Pine Nuts

Ingredients

• 1 cup blanched almond, whole
• 1 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 egg whites, large
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon orange extract (optional)
• 1/2 cup pine nuts (for sprinkling)
• 1/2 cup icing sugar (for dusting)

Directions

1. 1

   Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

2. 2

   In either a blender or food processor, grind the almonds and 1 cup of pine nuts with about a tablespoon of sugar until they are very fine.

3. 3

   In a bowl, beat the egg whites (with a mixer or by hand) until they are foamy. Begin adding the remaining sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating the egg whites until they are very stiff (stiff peaks form).

4. 4

   Gently fold in the nuts and then add the almond and orange extract (be careful not to overmix so that you don’t deflate the mixture).

5. 5

   Using a tablespoon, carefully spoon or pipe rounds of dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheets. Leave a few inches between each cookie.

6. 6

   Sprinkle some of the pine nuts over each cookie and bake for about 30 minutes. The cookies will be firm and lightly golden when they’re done.

7. 7

   Let cool completely before dusting with icing sugar and serving.