Pistachio Cream Sandwich Cookies Food

PISTACHIO CREAM SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, blend the butter and powdered sugar; cream well.
• Add the egg and blend well.
• Reduce mixer speed to low; add the flour and salt and mix well.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350*F.
• Place the pistachios in a small bowl. Shape dough into 1/2" balls; roll each in the pistachios and place 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie with the bottom of a glass that has been dipped in granulated sugar.
• Bake 7-8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned; transfer cookies to wire racks and cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: blend the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and enough half-and-half to achieve desired spreading consistency. Stir in the pistachios and a few drops of green food coloring, if desired.
• Spread the bottoms of half the cookies with a scant teaspoons filling; top with remaining cookies, bottom side down.

PISTACHIO-CHERRY SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Pulse the butter, sugar, honey, egg yolk and vanilla in a food processor until creamy, scraping down the processor with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the flour and pistachios and pulse until the dough just comes together, 4 to 5 pulses.
• Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper and knead until uniform. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a compact log, about 1 inch in diameter. Wrap the logs individually in parchment paper or plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 30 minutes and up to 3 weeks.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice the logs into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are firm and lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Spoon about 1/4 teaspoon cherry preserves on the undersides of half of the cookies, then sandwich with the remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container 2 to 3 days.