1 pound almond paste

2 cups sugar

4 egg whites slightly beaten

3 ounces pine nuts (pignoli nuts)

Cut the almond paste into small pieces and place in the small bowl of mixer.

Beat it for a minute or so until smooth and soft.

Or use your hands or a wooden spoon to break it up.

Slowly add the sugar.

Beat well.

Add egg whites and continue beating until smooth.

Stack two cookie sheets one on top of the other ( this will prevent excessive browning), and cover with a sheet of parchment paper.

Place mixture in a pastry bag and using a 1/2-inch tip, pipe mixture onto the paper.

Or drop by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets, leaving 1 inch between them.

Sprinkle each cookie with 8 to 10 pignoli.

Bake in a 350° oven until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

When cookies are cool, remove from parchment paper using a sharp knife dipped in hot water.

If the cookies stick, wring out a towel in hot water and lay it out flat on the counter.

Place the parchment paper on the wet towel and wait a few minutes.

The moisture will loosen the cookies sufficiently to remove them.