This recipe was inspired by a cookie I had in Santa Fe at one of my favorite little brunch spots, not far from the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, called La Mama. It was a pecan chocolate chip cookie—crispy on the outside, yet moist and chewy on the inside. Not only was it mind-blowingly good, but it was also grain-free, which is right up my alley. I was shocked to learn it was made without any flour other than pecan meal.

These Italian Pine Nut Cookies are soft in the center and crispy on the outside cookies are a classic Italian treat found in traditional bakeries all over Italy. These sweet morsels originate from Sicily and sing with the flavors of sweet almond paste and nutty pignoli (pine nuts in Italian).