Cornmeal Pine Nut Cookies
Published Aug. 19, 2020
- Total Time
- 40 minutes, plus chilling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ½cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), cut in small chunks
- ½cup/100 grams granulated sugar
- 1teaspoon grated lemon zest
- ½teaspoon almond extract
- 1whole egg
- 2egg yolks
- 1½cups/190 grams all-purpose flour
- ½cup/75 grams fine cornmeal
- 1teaspoon baking powder
- ½teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅓cup/45 grams pine nuts, plus a handful reserved for garnish
- Powdered sugar, for garnish
Nutritional analysis per serving (36 servings)
74 calories; 4 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 39 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Using a stand mixer, food processor or a large bowl and handheld mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in lemon zest, almond extract, whole egg and egg yolks until well incorporated.
- Step 2
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
- Step 3
Add flour mixture to butter mixture to combine, then fold in pine nuts and mix thoroughly, taking care not to overwork the dough. (The dough will be rather soft and sticky.)
- Step 4
Divide dough in two, and, using plastic wrap, form each half into a log about 1 inch in diameter. Refrigerate for 2 hours and up to overnight.
- Step 5
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Slice cold dough into ½-inch pieces. (Each slice should weigh ½ ounce/15 grams.) Place slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet 2 inches apart. Press 2 or 3 pine nuts into the surface of each slice. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, until barely browned. Dust lightly with powdered sugar.
Private Notes
Comments
I lost my job in April and was prepping for 2 interviews when this recipe arrived via email, so of course I immediately had to try it. Used the peel of one orange and vanilla (that's what I had), and 1/2 c almond flour for 1/2 c white. I also tried sliced almonds on top of half my cookies. Result: delightful texture and sophisticated taste. The pine nut version was better - pine nuts have a strong flavor and are tastable; the almonds looked nice but imparted no flavor. Will make again!
As per another comment, I made these with 100 g white flour and 90 g almond flour, in addition to the cornmeal, used just one extra egg yolk, and skipped the (pricey) pine nuts. I also portioned the chilled dough out with a teaspoon scoop and flattened them with a glass dipped in sugar and salt before baking. They're lovely -- delicately flavored and tender but not crumbly. I'll be making them with these modifications again.
These are lovely and remind us of Italy. We used orange zest and a hint of organic orange oil as we were out of lemons and they were terrific. Easy to make and the slice and bake rolls were very convenient. Will definitely make again and try lemon next time.
Gluten free version. For the flour substitute, I used equal parts almond flour and tigernut flour. I think any mild-flavored nut flour would suffice. I also used 2 whole eggs instead of 1. These were great. Would make again and maybe experiment with adding some toasted flaxseed.
Simple in the best way. The butter and lemon zest shine, and the pine nuts add a hint of savory. What a great recipe! When I placed the pine nuts on the top they - happy accident - ended up looking like sand dollars. So I'm calling them Sand Dollar Cookies.
The cookies baked beautifully. The flavor profile was bland, with none complementing each other.