Tuscan Rosemary and Pine Nut Bars

From Melanie Barnard, author of "Short and Sweet"...found this recipe in The Best American Recipes 2000". These make a cookie like shortbread and the contrast of the savory rosemary with the shortbread is incredible. A friend went nuts over these the first time I made them and then spent an entire weekend baking a huge batch for Christmas treats for her friends and family. This is a love/hate thing - if you love rosemary and shortbread, these are a MUST try...but not for you if you are fussy about adding anything to your shortbread...These are probably a bit sophisticated for a kid's palate...but your women friends will LOVE them.

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Yields: 16 COOKIES

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup pine nuts
• 8  tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces
• 1⁄2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh rosemary
• 1  cup all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a rack at the middle level.
2. Spread the pine nuts on a cookie sheet and place in the oven. Toast, stirring once or twice to prevent burning, until they are a shade darker and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Watch carefully; pine nuts burn easily. Remove from the cookie sheet and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the confectioner's sugar, rosemary and pine nuts. Then stir in the flour to make a stiff dough.
4. Spread and pat the dough evenly into an ungreased 8-inch square baking pan. bake until the bars are golden and firm at the edges, about 20 minutes. Cool the pan on a rack for about 2 minutes, then use a sharp knife to cut into 16 squares. Let the bars cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing them with a small spatula. The bars can be stored, tightly covered, for up to 5 days, or frozen for 1 month.