Rosemary–Pine Nut Cookies

Rosemary–Pine Nut Cookies

IMG_38653 T. heavy cream
1 T. plus 1 1/2 tsp. honey
1 T. plus 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 T. plus 1 1/2 tsp. all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 vanilla bean, scraped
1 T. plus 1/2 C. butter, divided
1/2 C. pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 sprigs of rosemary
1/4 C. plus 2 T. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 C. plus 2 T. pastry flour
1/4 C. cornmeal or polenta

To prepare the rosemary–pine nut cookies, place the cream, honey, sugar, vanilla bean seeds, and 1 T. butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over high heat, stirring only once to ensure even cooking, until the mixture reaches 230ºF on a candy thermometer. Take off the heat and whisk in the all-purpose flour. Pour the mixture into a bowl and fold in the pine nuts and 1 of the rosemary sprigs. Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig. (This mixture can be made in advance, and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Bring it to room temperature before rolling out the cookies.) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the remaining 1/2 C. butter and the powdered sugar until it is creamy and smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix until combined. Add the flour and polenta and mix until combined. The dough will be soft. Shape the dough into a disk and wrap the disk in plastic. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. On a well-floured surface, roll out the cookie dough to 1/8-inch thick. Cut out circles of dough using a 1 1/4–inch round cutter. Place the circles of dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Work the pine nut mixture between your fingers, creating a thin disk about the size of a dime. Place the circle on a cut-out cookie and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs, about three leaves for each cookie. Once all of the cookies are finished and garnished, bake them for about 15 minutes until they are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

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