Right now the way to my heart is chocolate pistachio shortbread.
Look at those melty puddles! That flaky salt! Those crunchy pistachios!
I mentioned this at the start of the season but after sharing approximately a billion cookies when I first started blogging, the last few years have been rather… light.
MY OTHER RECIPESBut I’ve gone all in this year.
The cashew butter buckeyes I made earlier this month were amazing. The lemon crinkle cookies? Eeep! You guys are freaking over them and so am I. But there was one more cookie that we made a few months ago to shoot for the box that didn’t make it on to the blog yet… and that is this amazing chocolate pistachio shortbread.
My my my, let me count the ways that I love you pistachio!
I’m a pistachio nut, every pun intended.
I’ve made pistachio oatmeal, pistachio pesto, pistachio kale salad, pistachio cake and even pistachio coffee in The Pretty Dish. That’s only the tip of the iceberg.
Just a wee bit obsessed.
Never did I ever care about shortbread until I made Alison Roman’s chocolate chunk shortbread back in January of this year. They were all over Instagram and some said they were overrated, but I fell.in.love.
Hard.
I really ended up enjoying them! They will never take the place of a traditional chocolate chip cookie for me, but they now have their own place in my heart. AKA… my cookie box!
These chocolate pistachio shortbread cookies are sort of like those, but with roasted and salted nuts. The depth of flavor here is insane.
And. And! We BROWNED THE BUTTER!
Yes, we browned the butter first and then chilled it before mixing. So so so good. Lots of sweet and savory going on, which gets my palate all sorts of excited.
These cookies can be a little high maintenance, especially if you decide to brown the butter. But the rest time is definitely hands-off time, so they are great to start one night and finish the next day.
And the other fantastic news is that since they are a shortbread, and since no one expects a shortbread to be soft or chewy or fluffy, these last a long time! They hold up well over a few days (like a week or so!) without seeming stale.
Grab a cappuccino and dip this in. You’re in heaven!
Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread
Yield: 20 cookies
This chocolate pistachio shortbread recipe is the perfect combo of sweet and salty in a crunchy cookie! Melty, rich dark chocolate comes together with roasted, salted pistachios to make a delicious crunchy cookie!
-
1
cup
unsalted butter -
½
cup
loosely packed brown sugar -
¼
cup
sugar -
2
teaspoons
vanilla extract -
2
cups
all-purpose flour -
5
ounces
high-quality dark chocolate,
chopped -
1/3
cup
roasted, salted pistachios,
chopped -
flaked sea salt,
for sprinkling
First step, brown the butter! This isn’t a necessary step and it does add extra time, but it makes the cookies so super delicious and flavorful! To brown the butter, add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Let it melt and start to bubble. You want it to bubble (and you can occasionally whisk it) until you start to see brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Whisk it well then remove it from the heat. Pour the butter in a bowl and place it in the fridge to get cold. Ideally, you can do this the night before! It will need anywhere from an hour to 3 to 4 to fully harden.
To make the cookies, add the cold butter to a stand mixer and beat on medium speed. Beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on medium speed until combined, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract until combined.
Beat in the flour until it is just combined. Beat in the dark chocolate and chopped pistachios.
Remove the dough from the bowl and separate it into two pieces. Roll each piece in a log that is about 2 inches thick. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
After two hours, unroll the log and slice it into ½-inch slices. Slice down gently and if the nuts and chunks break the dough apart, you can push the pieces back together. You want rounds on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until they are slightly golden. Remove and sprinkle with a pinch of flaked salt. Let cool completely then serve!
Ready to build a house inside that cookie.
