Pinolate | Pine Nut Cookies

I'm always looking to expand my tiny-cookie repertoire, as well as to use up stuff that goes rancid in the pantry if I don't act fast. This time I had a nice stash of pine nuts from a pesto dinner, and they came pre-toasted (thanks, Trader Joe's).

These pinolate are naturally gluten free, in the same way that broccoli and rice are gluten free. They never started out with gluten in them in a former life. You need nothing else but nuts, egg white, sugar and lemon zest. It's a celebration of the pine nut, not the fact that it doesn't have flour. And, because they're so rich, a little cookie goes a long way.

Pinolate
adapted slightly from Biscotti
makes about 20 small cookies

7 oz. pine nuts (if they're pre-toasted, you can skip the first step)
3 oz. almond meal
1/4 c. + 3 T sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg white, lightly beaten until barely frothy

Toast the pine nuts: preheat oven to 300 F. Spread the pine nuts evenly on a cookie sheet and toast for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool before using.

Pulse the almonds with the sugar and 1/3 c. of the total pine nuts in a food processor to create a sandy texture. Transfer the nut mixture to a small mixing bowl. Add the lemon zest, vanilla and egg white and mix well. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form the dough into cherry-size balls and roll each ball in the remainder of the pine nuts, pressing them gently into the dough.

Space the balls 1.5" apart on the sheet and bake 9-11 (or 13 for me) minutes, until golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheet.

Store what you don't eat right away in a sealed container for up to a week.