Pine Nut Panecillos

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups pine nuts
• About 1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter or margarine, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

1. 1. In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium heat, stir or shake pine nuts until lightly toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour into a bowl.
2. 2. In a food processor or blender, whirl 1 cup pine nuts until smoothly puréed, scraping container sides frequently.
3. 3. In food processor or a bowl with a mixer, whirl or beat pine nut purée, 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar to blend. Add egg and vanilla; whirl or beat to blend.
4. 4. In another bowl, stir together flour and baking soda. Add to butter mixture; stir, then whirl or beat to mix well. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. In a small bowl, mix 4 teaspoons granulated sugar and the cinnamon.
5. 5. Press each portion of dough evenly into a buttered 9-inch-wide cake pan with removable rim (you'll need 2). Scatter remaining pine nuts over dough and, with your fingers, press them lightly but firmly into dough.
6. 6. Bake in a 375° oven until cookies begin to pull from pan sides and centers spring back when lightly pressed, 16 to 17 minutes (350° in a convection oven for about 13 minutes). About 5 minutes before cookies are baked, sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mixture. Let cool in pans about 10 minutes; remove rims. Cut each cookie into 8 wedges. Transfer to racks. Serve warm or cool.
7. Nutritional analysis per cookie.