Anise Pine Nut Cookies Recipes

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.

Steps:

• For the tart crust: Add the flour, granulated sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse until small pebbles form. With the machine running, add the egg yolk, vanilla and water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Remove to a piece of plastic wrap and press together into a dough ball. Flatten into a disk then refrigerate, at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the honey and pine nut filling: Add the honey, brown sugar and salt to a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sugar melts, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butter and whisk until melted. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and allow to cool for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 13-inch circle and place in an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Chill 30 more minutes.
• Prick the bottom of the tart with a fork. Place a piece of parchment in the center of the tart and fill all the way to the top with dried beans. Bake until the crust is set but still slightly pale, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then remove the parchment and beans.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, whisk the heavy cream, egg yolk, lemon zest and juice into the cooled filling. Place the cooled tart shell on a rimmed baking sheet and scatter the pine nuts inside the shell. Evenly pour the filling into the tart crust and bake until the top is golden brown, the filling is set and the very center still has a slight jiggle, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Cool completely before slicing, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Serve dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• 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.
• In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
• 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.)
• 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.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Slice cold dough into 1/2-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.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.
• Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
• Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Mix in the aniseed and pine nuts.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.
• Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until combined.
• Form a ball of dough with about 2 tablespoons batter and place on the prepared sheet.
• Press with your hand to a thickness of 1/3 inch.
• Repeat, placing the cookies 3 inches apart. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or lightly brown. Let cool on a wire rack.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Steps:

• Use a pastry chopper (or food processor) to break up the almond paste into a granulated form. Put in mixing bowl and gradually add the sugar.
• In another small bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the sugar/almond paste mixture gently.
• On a greased and floured cookie sheet, drop a spoonful of the mixture. Press pine nuts into the top of the cookie (you want to cover the top with nuts).
• Bake at 325 degrees F (170 degrees C) for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Steps:

• In a bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter, the shortening, and the sugars until mixture is light and fluffy and beat in the vanilla. In another bowl whisk together the flour, the salt, and the baking powder and add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. In a food processor or blender grind fine the aniseed and 1/2 cup of the pine nuts, add the mixture to the dough, and blend the dough well.
• Drop teaspoons of dough 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets, top each cookie with several of the remaining pine nuts, and bake the cookies in a preheated 325°F. oven, switching the positions of the baking sheets halfway through the cooking time for 18 to 20 minutes, or until they are golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, transfer them carefully (the cookies are very delicate) with a metal spatula to racks, and let them cool completely. The cookies keep in an airtight container for 4 days.