Pizzicotti alle Noci

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.