2 cups white whole-wheat flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)
scant teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (natural cane) sugar
zest of one lemon
2/3 cup pine nuts, toasted and loosely chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Combine flour and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
In a separate large bowl or stand mixer cream the butter until light and
fluffy. Add the sugar and lemon zest and mix again, then add the flour mixture,
nuts, and rosemary and mix until the dough goes just past the crumbly stage,
and begins to really clump together (you don't want to over mix, but under
mixing will make the dough seem a bit dry, which can make it difficult to
handle). Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough just
once or twice to bring it together, then divide it into a ball and flatten into
a disk 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
of a Silpat mat. Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured
surface. Cut into whatever shapes you desire, and place on the prepared baking
sheet. Sometimes I chill the dough in the freezer for another 10 minutes, it
seems to help the cookies hold their shape - but you don't have to. Bake for
about 10 minutes, or until the cookies are beginning to brown on the bottom.
The baking time will vary depending on the size of the cookies, taking less
time for smaller cookies.
Makes about 2 dozen small cookies.