Pine Nut Fennel Cookies

 

The first time I had these, it was from a Giada recipe. She called them "Pine Nut Cookies", which might be an Italian classic cookie, I don't know.

Anyway, it's basically a short bread cookie topped with pine nuts, with an unexpected (to Americans) ingredient in the base - ground fennel seeds.

I made these for my husband to take to a superbowl party several years ago, and they were a hit, but people kept asking, "what's that taste I'm picking up on?" "Probably fennel," my husband would answer. And they'd say, "No. No, that can't be it."

We have a pie shop in town who I believe is trying to replicate this cookie, only they don't know that they're looking for fennel, so they use Rosemary instead. No where close to these.

Anyway, unlike Giada's shortbread version, this is a crisp-chewy cookie, because I use homemade caramel for the base. Let's begin.

Ingredients for the caramel:

• 2 cups white sugar 
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp salt

Ingredients for the cookies:

• 1 recipe (2 cups) homemade caramel
• 2.25 cups AP flour
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tablespoon ground fennel seed (you can grind it yourself in a magic bullet or other blender)
• Garnish: 7 oz pine nuts. 

Directions for the caramel:

1. Heat sugar and water over medium-high heat (6). Stir.
2. Cover with a see-through lid, and babysit it until it's deep amber, but not burned. It seems to take a while, but then colors quickly once all the water evaporates.
3. Remove from heat. 
4. Uncover, and carefully add cream. Stir well.
5. Add salt. Stir well.
6. Allow to cool completely.

Directions for cookies:

1. Sit out the butter and egg to be getting to room temperature.
2. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Grind fennel seeds in a magic bullet and pour over flour mixture. Whisk well. 
4. Once butter and egg are to room temp, and caramel is cooled, mix butter, egg, vanilla extract and caramel directly into the flour mixture with a hand mixer.
5. Transfer to a storage container with lid and refrigerate for at least an hour.
6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Line 2 baking sheets with nonstick foil, and use a rounded tablespoon to form one drop cookie at a time. 
8. Repeat for all 24 cookies between both baking sheets, spreading them equally apart.
9. Top with about 10-15 pine nuts per cookie.
10. Bake for 12 minutes.
11. Rotate the pans and cook for 4 more minutes.
12. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before packing them in sealable wax sandwich bags for sharing. 
13. Store in the refrigerator.
14. May be heated in the microwave for 15 seconds before serving.

Makes 2 dozen.