Yields 12 cookies

1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1⁄4 cup sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached flour
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)
1⁄2 cup Chinese pine nuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a medium-size mixing bowl until fluffy. Add the flour, salt, and cinnamon (if desired), and mix with a dough cutter or fork until a soft dough forms. Divide the dough in half and mound the halves on an ungreased baking sheet. Pat each into a round about 5 inches in diameter. Smooth out the edges with your fingers, and lightly prick the dough all over with a fork. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top of the rounds and press them into the dough. Use a fork to score each round into 6 wedges. Bake until the edges of the rounds are golden and the pine nuts are toasted, about 25 minutes. Let the rounds cool on the baking sheet, then break apart along the score-lines.