Description
Pistachio cookies bring festive cheer right to your kitchen, with a creamy center that makes celebration effortless. Grab some nuts and butter, and let’s whip up these delightful bites that’ll have everyone asking for seconds.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chopped pistachios
- ½ cup pistachio cream
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Garnish:
- Chopped pistachios
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prepare a parchment-lined tray and scoop 1-teaspoon portions of pistachio cream. Freeze these dollops for precisely 30 minutes until completely solid.
- Using an electric mixer, combine ½ cup softened butter with ½ cup granulated and ½ cup brown sugar until creamy. Incorporate 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, blending until smooth and uniform.
- Separately whisk 1 ¾ cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Gently fold dry ingredients into butter mixture. Add ½ cup chopped pistachios if desired. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Heat oven to exactly 350°F. Remove frozen pistachio cream dollops from freezer. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of chilled dough and flatten slightly on your palm.
- Center a frozen pistachio cream dollop in the dough. Carefully wrap dough completely around cream, sealing edges. Roll gently into a smooth ball shape.
- Arrange cookie balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes until edges turn golden and centers remain slightly soft.
- Remove from oven and let cookies rest 5 minutes on baking sheet. Transfer to wire rack for complete cooling.
- Optional finishing touch: Dust cookies with powdered sugar or sprinkle with additional chopped pistachios before serving.
Notes
- Freezing the pistachio cream ahead ensures a delightful molten center that stays intact during baking.
- Chilling the dough helps prevent spreading and creates a more structured cookie with better texture.
- Chopped pistachios add wonderful crunch and extra nutty flavor to the cookie exterior, but they’re optional if unavailable.
- Rolling the cookies in extra chopped pistachios before baking creates a gorgeous, professional-looking finish that boosts visual appeal and adds a satisfying crunch.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 209 kcal
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 96 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 27 mg