Pignolo are a type of cookie from Italian cuisine. Considered a standard of Italian confectionery, they are a common item at Italian bakeries. It is a popular cookie in all of southern Italy, and in Sicilian communities in the United States. They can be seen as a kind of amaretto.
The cookie is a light golden color and studded with golden pine nuts (also called pignoli). Made with almond paste and egg whites, the cookie is moist, soft and chewy beneath the pine nuts.
Often they are formed into crescents; otherwise the cookies are round. Pignoli are a popular Italian holiday treat, especially at Christmas. Because both almond paste and pine nuts are relatively expensive, and this cookie uses substantial amounts of both, this cookie is a luxury food.