These lemon-laced pistachio cookies are sensationally nutty with a melt-in-your-mouth quality that is hard to forget. Roll them in powdered sugar or glaze them; they're always delicious, keep well and are perfect for gift-giving.
These pistachio butter cookies resemble Mexican wedding cookies, snowballs, or Russian tea cakes. They are cousins to the Greek Kourabiedes (which include an egg in the ingredients).
So take your pick of nationality, but do give them a try.
They're traditionally rolled in powdered sugar, but I tried a light lemon glaze, which was amazing. It helps the cookies stay moist as it covers them.
For a cocoa version, follow the recipe for chocolate snowball cookies, substituting the almonds for pistachios.
When the holidays come around, and we bake cookies to give as gifts, these pistachio snowballs are a must, along with the chocolate peppermint cookies, gingersnaps, and decorated soft sugar cookies.
About pistachios
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 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.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
Be careful when chopping pistachios by hand. They are hard to pin down so if you start chopping energetically, you'll have pistachios flying everywhere.
Ingredient list
- Pistachios: I like to buy shelled pistachios which are more expensive. If you buy regular ones in their shells, plan for the time it'll take you to shell them.
- 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 is a mandatory ingredient as it provides melt-in-your-mouth quality, which is a trademark of this recipe.
- Vanilla: I use paste, but regular pure extract works fine.
- Unsalted butter.
- All-purpose flour.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Creaming: the 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.
- Make ahead: the dough or 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.
Mixing by hand
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. The same after you add the pistachios.
Pistachios
For this recipe, they need to be ground. If using the food processor, be careful not to turn them into a paste by over-processing them. They need to be finely ground but not oily. I use the processor, but you can chop them by hand if you have the patience.
Final dough
It's pliable and textured due to the pistachios but without dry spots. It needs to be refrigerated before being formed.
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 dough balls should be the size of a walnut. Don't make them larger, as they will take too long to bake and dry out.
Baking
Cookie sheet: line it with parchment paper and place cookie balls a little spaced to allow for expansion during baking. They don't grow much.
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.
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.
Powdered sugar glaze
This icing is one of my favorites because it never fails.
I use lemon juice because there's lemon zest in the batter, but you can use milk or cream.
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.
Related recipes you might like:
One last thing
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Pistachio Butter Cookies (glazed or with powdered sugar)
Ingredients
For the pistachio cookie dough:
- 1 cup butter, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest, from about ½ lemon
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup ground pistachios, lightly toasted
For the coating:
- ½ cup powdered sugar, for rolling
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, if glazing them
Instructions
For the cookies:
- In a large bowl, beat 1 cup butter and 4 tablespoons powdered sugar until creamy and smooth.
- Add ½ teaspoon lemon zest and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extracta and beat well.
- Add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup at a time, and then ¾ cup ground pistachios. Mix just until smooth. Don't overdo it. If mixing by hand with a rubber spatula, it will take a few minutes and feel as though it is too much flour and nuts. But it will all integrate eventually.
- Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°C).
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll portions of cold dough between your palms to form balls the size of walnuts.
- Place 1-inch apart on the lined baking tray. At this point, they can be frozen (see Notes below).
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until they begin to brown around the edges and crack.
For the coating:
- First option: roll the cookies in extra powdered sugar while still warm, to coat completely.
- Second option: prepare the glaze by mixing ½ cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon lemon juice until smooth. Adjust the amount of juice so it's like thick honey. Drizzle over the cooled cookies and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.
Notes
Julia says
I think I will be making these for Christmas. I love nut crescent cookies and this sounds like a nice change from the usual almond or pecan.
Kathy says
These look scrumptious, Paula!! Funny, I just made a pistachio cookie that I plan on posting this week! Cookies and Christmas just go together!!
Vera - Cupcakes Garden says
So cute! Thanks you shared this at my link party!
Tara says
Thanks so much for sharing on our Holiday Sweets Round Up. These look amazing and I have been thinking of a cookie just like this to make. Yummy!!
Laura says
I've been all about pistachios this holiday season and these look wonderful. Love the shots in powdered sugar. Pinning!
Lisa Crunkhorn says
Wow, what a flavour combo Paula. So festive too. The touch of orange water is making me want to inhale a whole batch! I always buy shelled pistachios too. I figured they were better value but now you mention it, weight to unshelled weight value might not actually be worth it. I need to go on a discovery now and figure that out. LOL.
-Lisa.
Sweet 2 Eat Baking
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
Wow, these look fantastic. I make something similar every year with pecans - love the idea of using pistachios instead.
Just a Smidgen says
This are so pretty and delicate looking! I'm between Christmas cookie bakes and will try to make these:)
Rhu and Sam says
What a temptation!
Laura Dembowski says
I can't imagine the holdays without decorations though I think this can be a very sad time of year. The cookies look great. I love that you have a variety of textures from the pistachios.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
If I lived in your house, I would be so happy with your last four cookie recipes. On the other hand, I would probably gain some weight during the time they were available. Wonderful cookies.
mividaenundulce says
What a perfect cookie recipe, this is something that I'm sure I can make. I always have problems with the rolling ones, and royal icing, so this is just for me. Thanks.
ahu says
Yum! Amazing!
Guru Uru says
What a fantastic gift for Christmas time 😀
Looks awesome!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Angie's Recipes says
These are definitely a must-bake during the X'mas season over here in Germany. I love that you used pistachio in it.
Renee Dobbs says
My husband loves pistachios. You should see the smile on his face when I buy them. I know he would love these cookies.
Family Foodie says
This is my kind of cookie. I love Pistachios!
e / dig in says
at first glance at your picture i thought they were the greek shortbread biscuits, kourambiethes (which i ate many, many of in greece years ago) - an almond shortbread. yummo!
yummychunklet says
What yummy cookies. Very Christmas-y!
Carol | a cup of mascarpone says
These are heavenly, Paula! What an awesome, flavorful recipe twist on a delicious classic Christmas cookie!