These are the #1 cookie request I receive from my son. He loves the buttery flavor with the addition of the pistachios. They’re gone before I blink, I swear.
Shortbread
Butter. Flour. Sugar. Three ingredients. Really. That’s all you need for such a spectacular cookie. Adding just a few ingredients really umphs the Wow! factor and pistachios with cocoa nibs really is top notch!
Chopping Nuts
Real quick verbal lesson on the proper way to handle your knife while chopping nuts. It was hard for me to grasp the point of the knife and take a picture, but you really should protect your fingers while chopping! The chefs who taught me in pastry school instructed that your palm of your left hand should rest and guide the point of your knife while your right hand does the moving. You should be rolling the knife over the nuts from point-end to back-end of knife, moving your knife around your pile of nuts. By having the palm of your left hand on TOP of your knife, your fingers are protected and the knife is still held secure. Hope that’s clear, otherwise, leave me a comment below.
Cocoa Nibs
What are cocoa nibs, you ask? They’re made from crushed cocoa beans and are really just raw chocolate. They offer a crunchy, healthy add-in to your favorite cookies, much like a chocolate chip might do. Some people find them to be a little bitter, so experiment with how many you want to add in before you add too many for your tastes!
Ready to bake?
Grab your ingredients:
- 1 cup softened butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups a.p. flour
- 2 Tbsp brandy, Kirschwasser or milk
- 1 cup chopped pistachios
- 1/3 cup cocoa nibs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream your butter and sugar, mixing nicely and scraping your bowl. Add in the vanilla and 2 Tbsp liquid and mix. Slowly add the flour and mix just to combine. Fold in your nuts and cocoa nibs.
Lay a piece of Cling Wrap on your counter and plop 1/2 of your dough onto the wrap. Roll up into a log, wrapping well. Repeat with second half of dough. Refrigerate for an hour or so, allowing your dough to firm up and your butter to slightly harden. Your cookies will thank you by not spreading!
Remove dough from refrigerator and cut into 3/4″ slices. Place on Silpat-lined baking sheet. You may space them closely together as they shouldn’t spread.
Cook for 8-10 minutes, depending upon your oven. If you like your cookies a little crisper, go closer to the 10-11 minute mark. Allow them to cool slightly on the baking sheet once removed from the oven before transferring to a cooling rack.
These Pistachio Shortbread cookies may be frozen at the point of rolling in wrap or once baked and cooled.
Pistachio Shortbread
Buttery. Crunchy. You can’t go wrong with a shortbread cookie. The addition of chopped pistachios and cocoa nibs really makes these special!
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 Tbsp brandy, Kirschwasser or milk
- 2 cups a.p. flour
- 1 cup pistachios chopped
- 1/3 cup Cocoa Nibs
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Cream softened butter and sugar, scrapping sides of bowl a few times.
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Mix in vanilla and liquid of your choice.
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Slowly mix in flour, mixing just to form a dough.
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Fold in pistachios and Cocoa Nibs.
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Roll into a log and wrap in Cling Wrap. Refrigerate at least an hour to firm up your butter.
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Cut into 3/4″ slices. Place on Silpat-lined baking sheet. Can be placed fairly close as they won’t spread.
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Cook for 8-10 minutes depending. If you like a crunchy shortbread, cook 10-11 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet a few minutes before moving to cooling rack.
Recipe Notes
Cookies may be frozen at the point of wrapping in Cling Wrap or once baked and cooled.
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