Pizzicotti alle Noci von Food with Style, fertig angerichtet

Pastry

Pizzicotti alle Noci Recipe

Name: Pizzicotti alle Noci Recipe
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 12 min
Yield: 12 cookies
Ingredients: 200 g walnuts, ground (about 2 cups); 120 g sugar (½ cup + 2 tbsp); 1 egg white (medium egg); 1 pinch of salt; powdered sugar for coating

Soft, nutty, and delicately sweet – traditional Italian walnut cookies that are crisp on the outside, tender and slightly chewy inside. Simple, elegant, and...

Servings

12 cookies

Cook Time 12 minutes

Ingredients

200 g walnuts, ground (about 2 cups)
120 g sugar (½ cup + 2 tbsp)
1 egg white (medium egg)
1 pinch of salt
powdered sugar for coating

Directions

1
Preheat the oven to 170 °C / 340 °F (top/bottom heat) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2
Grind the walnuts in a food processor until you get a soft, slightly grainy texture – not too fine.
3
In a bowl, lightly whisk the egg white with a pinch of salt until frothy (not stiff).
4
Add the sugar and mix briefly. Then fold in the ground walnuts until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
5
Shape small balls (about 25 - 30 g each / 1 tbsp of dough) with your hands. Roll each ball generously in powdered sugar.
6
Place on the baking tray and gently pinch the tops with your fingers to create the traditional “pizzicotti” shape.
7
Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers remain soft.
8
Let cool completely on the tray – they will firm up slightly as they cool. Crisp, soft, and full of toasted walnut aroma – a timeless Italian classic that melts in your mouth.

Video

Pizzicotti alle Noci Questions

Can I use a different nut instead of walnuts?

Yes, almonds or hazelnuts work in the same 200 g amount, since the nuts here simply replace flour and bind with the egg white. Keep the grind soft and slightly grainy rather than powder-fine, otherwise the nuts release oil and the dough turns greasy. Walnuts give the toasted aroma the recipe is built around, so expect a milder, sweeter cookie with almonds.

My dough is too sticky (or too dry) to shape - what went wrong?

The dough is meant to be soft and slightly sticky, so a little clinging is normal - chill it for 15-20 minutes and it becomes much easier to roll. If it still won't hold a ball, your egg white was likely from a larger egg or whisked too long; add a small handful of ground walnuts. If it crumbles, the nuts were ground too fine and absorbed everything, so work in a teaspoon of lightly beaten egg white.

How do I keep the powdered sugar from disappearing during baking?

Roll the balls generously - a thin dusting melts into the moist dough, a thick coat stays visible and cracks attractively. It also helps to roll them a second time right before they go on the tray, since the sugar starts dissolving as soon as it touches the sticky surface. Pinch the tops after coating so the cracks show bare dough against the white shell.

How should I store them and how long do they keep?

Let them cool completely on the tray first, as the recipe says - moving them warm will break them, and trapped steam softens the crust. Store in an airtight tin at room temperature, layered with parchment so the sugar coating doesn't smear. Avoid the fridge: the humidity turns the crisp edges soft. If they firm up more than you like, a slice of apple in the tin overnight brings back the soft centre.

Can I prepare anything ahead of time?

Yes - grind the walnuts a day or two ahead and keep them airtight and cool so the oils stay fresh. The shaped, sugar-rolled balls can also be frozen raw on the tray and baked straight from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the 12-15 minutes. Don't mix the full dough far in advance, though: the sugar keeps drawing moisture from the nuts and the texture goes wet.