Pistachio cookies are just divine! They are crunchy but soft at the same time with the buttery deliciousness of pistachios. They make the best ice cream sandwiches too. Mastic flavour ice cream would be my first choice but they also work beautifully with vanilla.
Before baking I like to roll them in coarsely chopped pistachios for that extra crunch. You can also make them with a combination of almonds and pistachios. YUM!
Pistachio cookies
Pistachio cookies are just divine! They are crunchy but soft at the same time with the buttery deliciousness of pistachios. They make the best ice cream sandwiches too. Mastic flavour ice cream would be my first choice but they also work beautifully with vanilla.
Ingredients
- 180 grams pistachios, unsalted, without shell
- 40 grams cornflour
- 125 grams ½ cup butter, unsalted
- 80 grams brown sugar, soft
- 115 grams sugar, granulated
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or flower water
- 160 grams of farina flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 80 grams coarsely ground pistachios for coating, optional
Instructions
- In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, add ½ cup (70 grams) of the pistachios and cornflour. Blend until well ground.
- Coarsely chop the remaining peanuts. Set aside until needed.
- In a mixer’s bowl, beat the butter, sugar (brown and granulated) and salt, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until the ingredients are combined. Add the flour and baking soda, the ground and coarsely chopped pistachios. Beat until all ingredients are combined.
- Line a baking pan with non-stick paper. Take about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and shape it into a ball the size of a walnut. Wet your hands to make this process easier. Thread each ball through the coarsely ground pistachios and place them on the baking sheet. No need to place them sparsely at this time. Continue until you have rolled out the entire cookie mixture. Usually 30 cookies are made.
- This is important: place the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This will firm the butter and help the cookies to bake evenly (see note). Preheat the oven to 160° C, fan oven. Line the baking trays or cookie sheets with non-stick paper. Place the cookie balls on the baking trays about 5 cm (2 inches) apart. Bake the cookies for 15-17 minutes, until the edges are slightly browned. The cookies will look a little undercooked and soft when you take them out of the oven, but don't be tempted to bake them any longer. They will firm up as they cool. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.
Notes
You can keep the unbaked cookie balls in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just make sure to cover the tray with plastic wrap and bring the cookies to room temperature 30 minutes before baking. You can also keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bake them straight from the freezer in a NOT preheated oven.
