Almond - Pine Nut Cookies

Some people are just clumsier than other at certain things, one of the things that I do not do well is pretty neat baked goods. I also stay away from the sugar because of the little ones, but this time of the year is an exception. In terms of making cookies, I find bar cookies to be maneagable since, you can control the shapes somewhat. This is what I thought I would send Habeas Brulee who is doing the Sugar High Friday event.

One of my favorite bar cookie books are A to Z Bar Cookies by Marie Simmons.

I tried these pine nut, almond cookies the other day, they are eggless and the results were satifying especially with my favorite cup of hot orange pekoe tea.

Almond Pine Nut Cookies

Ingredients

1 stick salted butter

3/4 cup grated jaggery

3/4 cup unbleached white flour

3/4 cup semolina

3/4 cup blanched almonds

1/2 cup half and half

3/4 cups pine nuts

For the topping

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup stawberry or apricot jam

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Method of Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. With a hand mixer, mix in the jaggery and butter till well mixed.

3. Sift the flour and semolina onto this mixture and mix well.

4. Make a paste with the almonds and half and half and mix into the batter.

5. Fold in the pine-nuts.

6. Grease a rectangular baking pan and pour the batter onto the pan and even out.

7. Bake for 30 minutes.

8. Let this cool for 10 minutes and invert onto a flat surface.

9. Gently toast the remaining nuts till lightly browned.

10. Heat the jam for 5 minutes, cool and strain.

11. With a brush brush this evenly onto the cookie bar.

12. Sift the powdered sugar onto the jammed suface.

13. Scatter the toasted pine nuts, cut into bars and serve.