Foraged Pine Nuts
Savor The Mountains
The best time to forage for pinecones is in the fall. The actual pine nuts are located within the scales of the cone. Birds and squirrels eat these nuts as soon as the scales ...
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 18 Cookies
- 1 cup raw almonds
- ⅓ cup plus ¼ cup organic cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 egg whites
- ⅓ cup soft white wheat flour or organic whole-wheat pastry flour, preferably home-milled
- ¼ cup plus ⅔ cup pine nuts
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Preparation
1. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil and blanch the almonds for 1 minute. Rinse them with cold water. Rub the skins off with your fingers; discard the skins.
2. Place the almonds in a food processor and grind into a powder. Add the ⅓ cup sugar, honey and almond extract, and blend into a paste. Add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and the vanilla and pulse until fine crumbs form. Add the egg whites and pulse to combine. Add the flour, ¼ cup pine nuts and salt; mix just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very wet and sticky. Refrigerate it for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out small balls of dough, about 1½ tablespoons each, and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten each slightly with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining ⅔ cup pine nuts on the cookies. Bake until the cookies begin to turn golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
About this recipe
Learn more about Ilona’s family foraging adventures at IlonaOppenheim.com.
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