Southwest Style Pinon Cookies Food

PINE NUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, fennel seed, and salt in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add the flour and mix just until blended.
• Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap. Shape the dough into an 8-inch-long log. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line heavy large baking sheets with a silpat or parchment paper. Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Press the pine nuts decoratively atop the cookies. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes.

PIGNOLI COOKIES {A.K.A. PINE NUT OR PINON COOKIES}

Steps:

• In a small dry skillet, toast the pine nuts over low heat until they are fragrant. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a food processor, break up the almond paste. Use the pulse feature on the food processor a few seconds at a time, scraping the sides as needed. It should take just a few minutes to turn the hard paste into fine sand-like pieces. Add the sugar in two stages, processing for a few seconds each time to combine.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the almond mixture into the egg whites, making sure the mixture is well-combined. Place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (This is required for these cookies. They will stick to the baking sheet without it.)
• Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheet. Press 8-10 pine nuts into the top of each cookie, pressing down slightly to flatten each ball of dough. Bake for 14-15 minutes, remove from the oven before the cookies begin to brown. Cool 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

SOUTHWEST-STYLE PINON COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. In a large bow, beat butter, 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar and vanilla until well combined. Stir in flour and pine nuts.
• 2. Pinch dough into approximately 2 inch portions on a lightly floured board and roll each portion into a rope 1/2 inch thick. Cut the rope into 2 inch lengths.
• 3. Place the pieces of dough, side by side, about 1 inch apart on two ungreased 10 x 15 inch baking sheets.
• 4. Bake at 275 degrees F until edges are light golden brown - approximately 25-30 minutes. *Switch baking sheets around halfway during baking process.
• 5. While cookies are still warm and still on baking sheets, sift remaining powdered (through a sieve) evenly over the cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Cool completely before serving.