Pistachio Cookies

Ingredients

• Pistachios: you can buy shelled raw pistachios (my first choice) or unsalted pistachios with shell that you have to shell.
• Lemon: I use the zest in the batter, which pairs wonderfully with the nuts. If you glaze them, you will also use some of the juice.
• Powdered sugar: a mandatory ingredient as it provides that melt-in-your-mouth quality that is a trademark of this recipe.
• Vanilla: I use paste, but regular pure extract works fine.
• Unsalted butter.
• All-purpose flour.

About pistachios

Pistachios are the seeds from the tree, a member of the cashew family. 

These nuts are green-yellowish in color and have hard shells that must be opened and removed so the seed (what we know as pistachios) can be eaten.

They have many health benefits (antioxidants, fiber) and are widely used in sweet and savory dishes in Middle Eastern and other cultures.

They go wonderfully with lemon, vanilla, and white chocolate, among other ingredients. 

Pistachios have a reputation for being expensive and hard to shell. Well, there's truth in that. How much do you love pistachios? I don't mind shelling them, though I often buy shelled ones.

But just as hazelnuts are a bit of a workout, so are pistachios, but they are worth it.

They need to be ground for this recipe. Be careful not to turn them into a paste from over-processing them. They need to be finely ground but not oily. I use the processor. You can chop them by hand if you have the patience.

Vintage Kitchen tip:be careful when chopping pistachios by hand. They are hard to pin down; if you start chopping energetically, you'll have pistachios flying everywhere.

How to make pistachio cookies

• Creaming: butter should be soft, and you can use a spatula or an electric mixer to integrate it with the sugar. 
• Flavoring: fresh lemon zest is added to the butter mixture. 
• Flour: when the flour is added, it will look like it's too much and will never come together into a cohesive dough. It will, just be patient.
• Pistachios: it might feel as though you won't be able to integrate them well into the cookie dough. But trust me, it all binds into a wonderful greenish mixture eventually.
• Make ahead: the dough itself or the cookie balls can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to a month. Always well covered in plastic wrap to prevent dryness. For more details, we have a post on how to freeze cookies.

Forming the cookies

I use a small cookie scoop to measure the pieces, so they're as even as possible. But grabbing a piece of dough with a teaspoon works fine also, old school.

Take a portion and scoop it onto your hand. With both palms, make smooth balls. The dough shouldn't be sticky, and you should be able to form the rounds easily.

Vintage Kitchen tip: the balls should be the size of a walnut. Don't make them very large as they will take too long to bake and dry out. 

Baking

Cookie sheet: line it with parchment paper and place cookies a few inches between them to allow for expansion during baking. 

Depending on the material of your cookie sheets, you might get away with nothing, not even buttering it, as the dough itself has a nice amount of it.

But I recommend lightly buttering the pan, if not using parchment paper, just in case.

They will crackle as they bake, which is fine. 

Powdered sugar glaze 

This glaze is one of my favorites because it’s super versatile – you can use any liquid, even olive oil – easy and fast.

I use lemon juice because there's lemon zest in the batter.

This was my first time glazing these butter cookies, and I think I found a new favorite. A great variation from the classic powdered sugar.

Finishing touches

• Pistachios: top the glazed cookies with finely ground nuts (image above) before the glaze sets.
• Sprinkles: embrace the holiday spirit and add some sparkle with gold, silver or whatever sprinkle you like. I don't like biting into them much, but hey, your cookies your taste!
• Half of each: make both types of pistachio cookies, half rolled in powdered sugar and the other half glazed.
• Rolling before baking: you can roll each dough ball in finely ground pistachios which will act as a coating after they're baked. The cookies will also have a deeper nutty flavor. 

Rolling in powdered sugar

Put powdered sugar in a shallow bowl or plate and roll the cookies.

Roll the cookies in the sugar while still warm until completely coated. If you see that the sugar starts to disappear, it means the cookies are still too hot and are melting the sugar. Wait a couple of minutes and try again. 

The sugar will adhere more to some parts of the cookie and less to others. So they won't be evenly coated, and some will fall off as you handle them. It is what it is. Whatever amount of sugar's left clinging will make a difference in the flavor.

Kitchen notes

• Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
• Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
• Storage: they keep well for 2-3 days at room temperature in a tin, cookie jar, or an airtight container. After that, refrigerate them for a week or freeze them for a month.
• Gift giving: these are very popular during the holidays because they're crowd-pleasers and travel well.
• Flavorings: add spices to the batter, such as cardamom or cinnamon, that pair well with pistachios.