Italian pinoli cookies

Ingredients:

4 egg whites
1 ½ pounds of almond paste
1 ½ cups of sugar
1 cup of confectioner’s sugar
3 cups of pinoli nuts
Directions:

Separate the eggs and place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl.
Once the eggs have stood to the required time we can now start to add the sugars and the almond paste.
The almond paste will blend best if it is added to the mixing bowl in pieces in lieu of one large clump from the measuring cup. Spoon it into the mixing bowl or break it up with your fingers.
Pre-heat the oven to 350’.
Start the mixer out at a low speed.
Once the ingredients start to form a paste, turn the speed up to medium.
Continue to mix for 3 to 4 minutes until the paste forms dough.
Using a tablespoon, a small ice-cream scoop or even a large melon baller; scoop out some of the dough.
Place it on the counter or a piece of waxed or parchment paper.
Get your cookie sheets out and line them with parchment paper.
Take out a small but shallow bowl and pour one third of the pinoli nuts into it. When the dish becomes empty add another third until all the nuts have been rolled into the cookies.
Roll the dough gently into a ball.
Then take the cookie dough ball and roll it into the pinoli nuts.
Place the pinoli cookies onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Separate the cookies keeping them at least two to three inches apart from each other.
Bake in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Only put one cookie sheet in the oven at a time. This will require longer time in the kitchen the end result will be confection perfection.
Remove cookie tray from oven.
Have cooling racks handy.
Remove the cookies right with the parchment paper onto the cooling racks.
Allow cookies to cool completely before gently removing them from the parchment paper and placing them in your cookie jar or serving platter.
Enjoy!