Description
Delightful pistachio drop cookies bring nutty, sweet comfort from Mediterranean kitchens. Rich green crumbles promise delicate texture and irresistible flavor that will tempt you to savor each delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (226 g / 16 tbsps / 8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ¼ cups (281 g / 9.9 oz) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (130 g / 4.6 oz) pistachios (salted or unsalted)
- ¾ cup (90 g / 3.2 oz) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1–2 drops green food coloring (gel preferred)
- ¼ cup (56 g / 4 tbsps / 2 oz) unsalted butter (for brown butter icing)
- 1 cup (120 g / 4.2 oz) confectioners’ sugar (for brown butter icing)
- 2 tbsps (30 mL / 1 fl oz) milk or heavy cream
- ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract (for brown butter icing)
Instructions
- Preparation: Pulverize pistachios into fine crumbs using a food processor, ensuring a uniform texture for the cookie base.
- Mixing Base: Cream butter until smooth, then blend confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and almond extracts until light and airy. Gradually incorporate flour and pistachio crumbs, creating a cohesive dough. Add optional food coloring for visual enhancement.
- Chilling: Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes to develop flavor and improve texture. Remove and let soften slightly for easier handling.
- Setup: Preheat oven and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Roll dough into uniform spheres, maintaining consistent size and spacing. If dough feels crumbly, warm between palms to bind ingredients.
- Baking: Cook until cookie edges turn a delicate golden shade, indicating perfect doneness. Rest briefly on baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Brown Butter Icing: Melt butter in a light-colored skillet, watching for golden specks and nutty aroma. Remove from heat and cool briefly. Whisk with confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla, adjusting consistency as needed.
- Finishing: Decorate cookies by dipping or drizzling with aromatic brown butter icing. Allow icing to set completely before storing in an airtight container. Consume within a week for optimal freshness.
Notes
- Master Crumb Technique: Process pistachios finely to ensure uniform texture and prevent chunky cookie consistency.
- Butter Creaming Secrets: Whip butter until ultra-smooth and pale, creating a luxurious base that guarantees tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookies.
- Chill for Success: Refrigerate dough for precise texture and deeper flavor development, allowing ingredients to meld and moisture to distribute evenly.
- Icing Perfection: Brown butter carefully to develop rich, nutty notes, watching for golden specks that signal optimal caramelization without burning.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 22
- Calories: 221
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg