Pine Nut Cookies with Rosemary

This recipe is phenomenal. It sounds odd, but I swear, it's great. I am very much not a baker, but I discovered (in making this recipe last night) that Miss Baby adores making cookies. It was really fun, and I got a wonderful treat. In all seriousness, these cookies pair well with dry chardonnays. Who'd a thunk you'd make a cookie that goes with chardonnay? Incidentally, Mr. Mac does not particularly like these cookies, because they aren't very sweet and they have no chocolate involved. To each his own, I guess, but I love 'em!

RECIPE:

Pine Nut Cookies with Rosemary

Makes about 6.5 dozen (I made about 125 somehow!)

Ingredients:

3 ½ teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted, plus more for topping cookies

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon coarse salt

10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 large egg

Fine sanding sugar for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Finely chop rosemary in a food processor. Add pine nuts: pulse until coarsely ground. I used a hand chopper widget to do this. A blender also works. Transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in 2 cups flour, the baking soda, ginger, and salt; set aside.
2. Put butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in olive oil. Reduce speed to low. Mix in flour mixture. Add cream; mix until well combined, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg, then remaining ¼ cup flour.
3. Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls (I used my 1/2 teaspoon measure - maybe that's how I made so many cookies), and space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with fingers (or, in the case of Miss Baby - SMOOSHIE MAMA! FUN!), and top each with a pine nut. Sprinkle with sanding sugar (I dipped in the sugar before putting onto the cookie sheet).
4. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through (I left this step of rotating out), until edges are golden, about 13 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on sheet on wire racks (I lifted the parchment off the cookie sheet and onto the rack to cool so I could continue baking). Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container.