Looking for Christmas cookies that melt in your mouth and look like they came from a French pastry shop? These pistachio shortbread cookies are a real hit. They are wonderfully crumbly, buttery and full of crunchy nuts.
The dough is ridiculously simple: you need no cookie cutters, no eggs and no baking powder. The log goes into the freezer, you slice it, bake it, and dip half of each cookie in chocolate. They suit a Sunday coffee as well as the holiday table. Do you have the pistachios ready?
- What it is: Traditional butter cookies (sablés style) without eggs or baking powder.
- Secret trick: The dough log goes into the freezer before slicing, which gives the cookies a perfect shape.
- Cost and time: Luxurious flavor at a reasonable price, ready in about an hour.
At a Glance
- Prep time: 20 min (+ 30 min chilling)
- Baking time: 10 min
- Servings: about 25 cookies
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Calories: about 145 kcal per cookie
- Trend: Christmas cookies, edible gifts
Ingredients
(US cups, with grams in brackets)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) (240 g) butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (120 g) granulated sugar (or superfine sugar)
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (150 g) unsalted pistachios, chopped (plus extra for sprinkling)
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (270 g) all-purpose flour
- 3.5 oz (100 g) dark or milk chocolate, for dipping
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the sugar thoroughly with a whisk until creamy.
- Add 150 g (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) of chopped pistachios to the butter mixture and fold gently with a spatula.
- Add all of the flour. Stir with a spatula first, then work it by hand into a compact, non-sticky dough.
- Shape the dough into a long log with the diameter you want your cookies to have.
- Wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for exactly 30 minutes. Do not skip this step!
- Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Unwrap the firm dough and cut it with a sharp knife into rounds about 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick.
- Place the rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 10 minutes. The cookies should stay pale, only lightly golden on the bottom.
- Let the cookies cool completely. Then dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate and sprinkle with the remaining chopped pistachios.
Video Recipe
Tips for Perfect Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
- Use unsalted pistachios. If you only have salted ones, rinse them and dry them quickly, otherwise the dough will taste too salty.
- The cookies are very delicate when they come out of the oven. Let them cool right on the baking sheet so they do not break.
- Store them in an airtight cookie tin in a cool place. They stay crisp for up to two weeks (if you do not eat them sooner).
Variations
- Orange version: Add the grated zest of one unwaxed orange to the dough. It goes beautifully with chocolate.
- Other nuts: If you have no pistachios, the recipe works well with hazelnuts or almonds.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I add an egg to the dough? No. This recipe is special because it has no eggs, which gives the cookies their typical sandy, delicate texture.
Why do I need to freeze the dough? Freezing firms up the butter in the dough. The log then keeps its shape when sliced and you get neat, even rounds without a cookie cutter.
Can I make the dough ahead of Christmas? Yes. Wrap the log tightly and freeze it for up to 2 to 3 months, then slice and bake straight from the freezer, adding a minute or two if needed.
How do I give them as gifts? Cellophane bags tied with a ribbon work well. Let the chocolate set completely first, and layer the cookies with parchment paper in a tin.
Serve them with coffee or tea, or pack them into a Christmas cookie tin.
The recipe is based on a version by Maghrebia Cuisine, adapted by the We Cook With Love team.
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