Breakfast, Desserts

Biscotti Rosmarino e Pinoli – Rosemary and Pignoli Cookies

Nov 29, 2015 by Gabriele Corcos

DIFFICULTY

It does not matter how in advance or how well you try to plan some Holiday playtime for your children, you eventually will have to brake out a cookie cutter. This Holiday season, arm yourself with this fool proof and exceptionally delicious recipe and take the opportunity to spend some time working in the kitchen with your family and loved ones… then, when the cookies are finally ready and the whole house smells like heaven, put on a rented movie and invite everybody to sit and relax on the couch.

Dim the lights, grab a cookie and go to another room, you can now reward yourself with a couple of hours of quiet time.

This recipe has been one of my very first baking adventure when I was a kid; my grandmother Lola taught me a basic dough recipe and invited me to add flavors that I could find in her garden, seasonally. This variation is one of my favorites as it combines herbs, nuts and fruit into a truly unforgettable bite. Enjoy these cookies with your coffee in the morning or after lunch with a half glass of red wine.

Yields: 4 dozen / Prep time: 15 mins / Inactive Prep time: At least 1 hr to overnight (refrigeration of cookie dough) / Cook time: 12 mins for each cookie dough log, 24 minutes total

1/2 cup pignoli nuts (pine nuts)
2 sticks (1/2 lb) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fine semolina flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1In a small skillet, lightly toast the pignoli nuts over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool.

2In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until well combined.

3In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, semolina flour, salt, rosemary, and orange zest. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the the flour mixture to the butter mixture, until the dough forms and starts detaching from the sides of the bowl. Add the toasted pine nuts and stir to combine.

4Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log about 10 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

5Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 9 x 13-inch baking sheets with parchment paper.

6Slice a cookie dough log crosswise into 1/4- inch-thick rounds. Place the rounds on the lined sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between cookies (if they need to be reshaped or look too thick, you can gently pat them down to the desired shape and size).

7Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the pans front to back halfway through the cooking process. The cookies should be deep golden brown on the bottom and look dry on the top.

8Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool. Repeat with the second log.