Pine Nut Shortbread Cookies

Rich, buttery and tender, these cookies add contentment to a tea or coffee break. Stone ground corn flour gives them a subtle crunchiness.

Makes 32

1/3 cup (2 ounces) pine nuts, plus extra for decoration

¼ cup (2 ounces) whole almonds

6 tablespoons sugar

½ cup whole grain, stone ground corn flour, plus extra for work surface

½ cup cornstarch

½ teaspoon xanthan gum

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes

1 large egg yolk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the almonds, 1/3 cup pine nuts, and sugar in a food processor and grind to a fine, even meal. Add the corn flour, corn starch, xanthan gum, and salt. Blend briefly to mix well. Add the butter, egg yolk, and vanilla, and process until a soft dough forms and gathers around the blade, scraping down the bowl once or twice.

Dust a work surface lightly with corn flour, and turn the dough out onto it. Pat the dough into a rectangle, and cut into quarters. Form each piece into a 4-inch long roll, and cut into 8 equal-sized “coins”. Tip each one on its side. Gently form into a fat teardrop, and press 2 pine nuts on top.

Arrange the cookies on the baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart as they spread a little. Bake until pale gold, about 17 minutes. Leave on the baking sheet for 2 minutes to firm up slightly, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool. These cookies freeze well.