The almond pinches are delicious almond sweets that are very easy to prepare. They are soft almond cookies mainly made as traditional Christmas sweets, along with butter cookies and other Christmas cookies.
It is a very simple recipe that can also be a recycling recipe. For these almond paste cookies, only egg whites are used, so you can prepare them to use up leftover egg whites from other recipes.
The almond pinches can be prepared quickly either with the Bimby or using a simple blender or mixer. You will need them to finely chop the almonds.
You can also prepare them in advance, as they can last for weeks if stored away from humidity in a tin container.
Now let’s see how to prepare these delicious almond pinches. In the recipe, you will first find the traditional method and then the various steps to prepare the Bimby almond pinches.
While I’m at it, I’ll leave you some links that might interest you!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 20 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, Christmas
- Energy 127.91 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 14.11 (g) of which sugars 13.49 (g)
- Proteins 2.97 (g)
- Fat 6.68 (g) of which saturated 0.00 (g)of which unsaturated 0.04 (g)
- Fibers 1.28 (g)
- Sodium 5.54 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 1 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for preparing almond pinches
- 8.82 oz peeled almonds
- 1 almond (bitter or a few drops of bitter almond essence)
- 7.05 oz sugar
- 1.76 oz powdered sugar
- lemon zest (zest of 1 lemon)
- 2 egg whites
Tools:
- Mixer
- Lemon Grater
- Bowl
Procedure for preparing almond pinches
Let’s take a look at the steps for preparing almond pinches with and without Bimby.
In a mixer, place 200 g of sugar and the grated zest of a lemon. Blend everything for about a minute.
Add the peeled almonds and the bitter almond (or a few drops of almond essence). Blend for another 1-2 minutes. You should obtain a very finely chopped mixture.
Finally, add the egg whites and mix.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover it with a little plastic wrap. Let it rest in the refrigerator for half an hour.
Meanwhile, prepare a bowl with a little powdered sugar.
After this time, retrieve the dough. With wet hands, take a small amount of mixture (about 0.88-1.06 oz) and work it slightly with your hands. Place it in the bowl with the powdered sugar and roll it to adhere the sugar well. With your fingers, give the sweet a “pinched” shape and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Continue like this until you have used up all the dough.
Bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for 10-12 minutes.
When they are ready, let them cool and pass them again in powdered sugar.
Your almond pinches are ready to be enjoyed in all their goodness!
Almond pinches can also be prepared with the Bimby. Let’s see the procedure together.
In the bowl, place 200 g of sugar and the peel of a lemon: 10 sec speed 10. Gather at the bottom with the spatula.
Add the peeled almonds and the bitter almond (or a few drops of almond essence) and blend: 30 sec speed 10.
Gather again at the bottom with the spatula.
Finally, add the egg whites: 20 sec speed 4-5.
Place the mixture in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, refrigerate for half an hour and then proceed according to the recipe.
Storage and tips
– Almond pinches can be stored for a couple of weeks in a tin container. Keep them away from humidity and heat.
– Always blend the almonds with the sugar: this will prevent them from releasing oil.
– If you don’t have pre-peeled almonds available, you can quickly peel them at home. Place the almonds with the skin in a glass bowl, fill it with water, and microwave for 5 minutes at maximum power.
Let the bowl rest in the microwave with the door closed for 1-2 minutes. Then drain the water and peel the almonds. With this method, the skin will come off right away.
Can I flavor the almond pinches in another way?
Yes, you can flavor them with grated orange zest, cinnamon, or vanilla. You can also add a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa to the dough. You can also scent the almond sweets with amaretto liqueur, limoncello, or other liqueurs of your choice.
Can I use ready-made almond flour?
Yes, of course, you can also use ready-made almond flour.
Are almond pinches gluten-free?
Yes, the recipe does not include flour. If you use almond flour, make sure it is certified gluten-free if needed for specific requirements.
