Pistachio Shortbread

These lovely pistachio shortbread cookies melt in your mouth and have a slight sandy, crumbly texture that’s expected with shortbread. Ground pistachios add a touch of sophistication and a flavor boost. Once they’re baked, the cookies are topped with a tangy lemon glaze and sprinkled with crunchy, vibrant pistachios.

Traditionally, shortbread has three main ingredients: flour, butter, and a small amount of sugar. Here, ground pistachios are added to plain shortbread dough. The nuts give some depth to the predominately buttery profile of shortbread. Pistachios are buttery, rich, sweet, and nutty, so they make the perfect addition to shortbread. Plus, seeing the flecked speckles of green make the cookies seem so much more special.

Ingredients needed to make Pistachio Shortbread—

Aside from all-purpose flour, kosher salt, and vanilla extract, here are some key ingredients for these pistachio shortbread cookies.

— Pistachios are used in the dough as well as for topping the glazed cookies. Unsalted, roasted pistachios are used in this recipe. Raw or salted, roasted pistachios will work if you’re unable to source toasted, unsalted pistachios. If raw pistachios are substituted, toast the pistachios at 350 F for 6 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes before adding them to the food processor. If salted pistachios are substituted, the kosher salt may need to be omitted or reduce, depending on how salty the pistachios are.

— Powdered sugar sweetens the shortbread dough and is used in the lemon glaze. Powdered sugar has corn starch in it, which helps bind the water content in the butter. It also creates a tender, delicate texture.

— One egg yolk is added to the dough. Traditionally, shortbread does not call for any eggs, but the yolk adds extra richness. Both the egg yolk and powdered sugar makes the cookies tender and soft. The egg yolk also helps to preserve the shortbread–they taste fresher for longer and retain their texture.

— Good quality butter, if you can swing it, is best for shortbread. The ratio of butter to flour is extremely high, so the quality and taste of the butter can make a big difference. Go for grassfed butter or a similar high quality butter.

— One large lemon is used for the glaze. Both lemon zest and juice are mixed with powdered sugar to create a fresh, citrusy glaze. It’s best to use organic citrus if possible, since conventional lemons can have pesticide residue within the peel and flesh.

Tips for making shortbread—

— Helpful kitchen ware: A kitchen scale is beyond helpful to get correct measurements–all of my recipes are formulated by weight. A food processor is needed to grind the pistachios–for small jobs, I use the Cuisinart Mini Prep. For rolling out cookie dough, I always use a silicone pastry mat and a stainless steel dredge shaker to evenly sprinkle the work surface with flour. A Silpat silicone baking mat, which is nonstick, permanently lines my baking sheets. Everything seems to turn out better with a Silpat in place of parchment paper.

— Make it easy. If you’re using a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients, you can add all of the pistachios to the food processor. Once the pistachios are ground to a smaller coarse texture, take out 30 grams of pistachios to reserve for topping the cookies. Continue processing the remaining 60 grams of pistachios until they are finely ground. If you aren’t using a kitchen scale, it’s easier to grind 1/2 cup of pistachios for the dough and then separately chop 1/4 cup of pistachios for the glaze.

— Keep the dough cool. The dough is chilled for 30 minutes before rolling it out, but if the cookie dough begins to stick to your work surface after re-rolling, pop it in the refrigerator for a few moments to cool it back down.

PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD

Makes 40-42 cookies using a 2″ round cutter

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SHORTBREAD

• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 16 tablespoons (224 g) grassfed unsalted butter (OR vegan butter), room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (60 g) unsalted, roasted pistachios
• 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature (VEGAN: OR coconut or plant milk as needed if mixture is too crumbly)

FOR THE GLAZE

• 3/4 cup (90 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• the zest of one lemon, preferably organic
• 1/4 cup (30 g) unsalted, roasted pistachios

INSTRUCTIONS

Add 1/2 cup of pistachios to a food processor and process until they become a fine, mealy texture. Whisk the flour and ground pistachios together and set aside.

In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, salt, and vanilla on medium speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and cream the mixture for about two minutes, or until it’s light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and continue mixing for 30 seconds. Tip in the flour and nut mixture; pulse to combine, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a couple baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Flour a work surface, roll the dough out to a 1/4″ thickness, and cut cookies from the dough using a cutter. Bake for 12 minutes.

While the cookies are cooling, coarsely chop 1/4 cup of pistachios. Sift the powdered sugar and mix in the lemon juice and zest. Spread a thin layer of the glaze on the cookies with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the crushed pistachios on top.