Pine Nut Cookies

I've been trying to use all of the random ingredients in my fridge and pantry. We should be moving into our new house next week, so I can get all of my kitchen stuff back. Right now, most of my cool kitchen gadgets are in boxes. Boo.

While looking around my kitchen, I found some pine nuts in my freezer and decided to give these tasty cookies a try. I got the recipe from the Everyday Italian cookbook, by my favorite chef Giada.

Cute little butter cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground fennel seed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup pine nuts

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, ground fennel seed and salt and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Ground fennel seed can be hard to find. If you have a mortal and pestle, grind the fennel by hand. I just used whole fennel and the cookies turned out good. 

Next add the flour.

Mix until a dough forms. 

Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into an 8-inch long log. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or use non stick baking sheets.

Cut the dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices. 

Place the cookies on the baking sheets. Press the pine nuts atop the cookies. Bake for about 15 minute until the cookies are golden around the edges. Store in an airtight container.

These are great with coffee. Nice and buttery and crisp.