Jekka McVicar doesn’t only have the coolest name in the world, she’s also produced one of the coolest cookbooks of the season: Jekka’s Herb Cookbook is packed with information about McVicar’s top-50 favorite herbs (McVicar, an English gardener and cook, had a hard time choosing from the 650 varieties growing in her home garden), plus 250 recipes for what to do with them.
Basil Cookies
From “Jekka’s Herb Cookbook,” by Jekka McVicar. Makes 15-20 cookies.
Ingredients
7 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup ground almonds
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large tablespoon chopped basil leaves
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together the butter and the sugar, add the ground almonds, mix well, then add the flour. Knead together on a lightly floured board to form a dough. Roll the dough in the chopped basil leaves until the leaves are amalgameted into the dough, then roll it into a 2-inch diameter sausage. Cut the roll into slices 1 1/2 inches thick.
Place the slices on a baking sheet that is well-greased or lined with nonstick baking parchment. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove at once and cool the cookies on a wire rack.
