ISO N. Italian soft almond paste confection or cookie recipe

One thing to consider is parts of Northern Italy is German-speaking, so your almond pastry might very well be German in origins. I would check out Maedl's recipes and look in German recipes. I think Luisa Weiss has a new German baking cookbook out.

I’ve posted two recipes below. Both are among my favorite Christmas cookie recipes, but the Sicilian recipe may be what you are looking for. I don’t think it is too sweet, but you could reduce the amount of sugar if you like. And if decent pine nuts are too expensive or hard to find, you could use another nut on top.

The second recipe is German (as far as I know) and is also very good and makes an annual appearance on my Christmas cookie tray. It calls for three egg yolks--which is particularly useful because I make another recipe that calls for three egg whites--so the almond cookies are a perfect complement.
Sicilian pine nut cookies
Ingredients
Makes about 3 dozen
2 cups pine nuts
1 cup confectioners' sugar (4.4 oz.)
1/4 cup almond paste (2.5 oz.)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (2 oz.)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Process 3/4 cup pine nuts, the sugar, almond paste, and vanilla in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add egg; pulse to combine. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; process just until dough comes together.
Roll dough into 3/4-inch balls. Roll balls in remaining 11/4 cups pine nuts, gently pressing to coat. Space 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake until cookies begin to turn golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

Marzipan macaroons

300 g. marzipan
3 egg yolks
150 g. sugar (I use somewhat less)
grated rind of an organic lemon
½ t. cinnamon
a pinch of cardamom
a pinch of allspice

small, round Oblaten (these are similar to communion wafers and come in graduated sizes. I like the smaller ones better because then you can sample different kinds of cookies!! If you can’t find Oblaten, line the cookie sheet with parchment paper

candied cherries or other candied fruit for garnishing

Mix together the marzipan, egg yolk, sugar, lemon peel and spices. Put the dough in a bag with a star-tip and squeeze onto the Oblaten. (I usually use a spoon and settle for a less-fancy form). Garnish each cookie with a halved candy cherry. Set the cookies on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

I've made Brutti è Buoni which are tasty but have too many add ins; the texture I'm looking for is smooth, like a cross between shortbread and marzipan. Carol Field's recipe for riccarelli was a bit too much on the cookie end of the spectrum. Marcella shuns sweets, and The Silver Spoon limits itself to the spear-shaped biscotti we think of when we Americans hear the word. I've looked in cookbook after cookbook featuring Italian foods and few have recipes for cookies; those that do focus on crisp amaretti.
Sigh.

2 reactions -
These sound wonderful and I want the recipe!
Please tell us besides the Siena Ricciarelli what have you looked at so we don't repeat in the answers...