Pistachio Linzers Food

PISTACHIO LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and salt until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla and almond extracts. Gradually mix in the flour until combined.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. (Alternatively, you can divide it in half, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 2 days before proceeding to the next step.) Roll out the dough until it's 3/16 inch thick. Cut out twelve 3-inch circles using a cookie or biscuit cutter. Use a 3/4- to 1-inch-wide star cookie cutter or smaller circle to cut out a hole in the center. Place the cookies on one of the prepared baking sheets. Reroll the dough and cutouts and punch out 12 more 3-inch circles. Place the circles on the second baking sheet.
• Bake the cookies until set but still pale, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• In a double boiler, melt the white chocolate chips. Stir in the pistachios and a drop of green food coloring, if desired.
• Once the cookies are cool, spread a thick layer of the white chocolate in the center of a cookie and then squish into a sandwich with one of the cutout cookies. Sprinkle the center with additional pistachios and/or sprinkles, if using. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Let stand at room temperature or in the fridge until set, about 5 minutes.

PISTACHIO WHITE CHOCOLATES

Steps:

• For the pistachio white chocolate butter: Combine the pistachios, white chocolate chips, sugar, salt, almond extract and vanilla in a food processor and blend, scraping the sides occasionally, until very creamy and spreadable, about 10 minutes.
• For the white hot chocolate: Gently heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk in 4 to 6 tablespoons of the pistachio butter (4 tablespoons for a nice, light, not-too-sweet situation, or 6 for a very rich desserty sitch!). Save the remaining pistachio butter for another use.

PISTACHIO LINZER COOKIES WITH ORANGE MARMALADE

Steps:

• In a food processor, finely grind the pistachios. Add the butter and 1 cup sugar and pulse to combine. Pulse in the egg and orange-blossom water.
• In a small bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, orange zest, nutmeg, salt and clove. Add to the food processor and pulse until the mixture forms a moist dough. Divide dough in half and flatten each half into a disk. Wrap tightly with plastic and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours.
• Place parchment paper on three large baking sheets. (If you don't have three, roll out the dough in smaller batches and keep the rest refrigerated.) Take one disk of dough and roll it out on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into 3-inch rounds, and transfer to a prepared baking sheet. Use a 1 1/2-inch cutter to stamp out a hole from the center of half (not all) of the cookies (this will form the "window" for the cookies). Transfer the smaller cookies to a prepared sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Gently combine and reroll any scraps. You will have three shapes of cookies on the cookie sheets: rings, large round cookies and small round cookies. Wrap each tray with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake cookies until just golden, about 15 minutes for the small rounds, and 18 to 22 minutes for the larger cookies. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Put the marmalade in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave for 20 seconds and stir, until it's warm and easier to spread. Or heat slowly in a small pot over low heat. Spread each large round cookie with marmalade. Top with a large ring-shaped cookie. Spread half the small round cookies with marmalade and top with the remaining small round cookies. Generously dust all cookies with the rest of the confectioners' sugar.

PAULA DEEN'S PISTACHIO LINZERTORTE WITH CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter and confectioners' sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in egg yolks until combined.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, nutmeg and cardamom. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until combined. Beat in ground pistachios. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness.
• Cut with a 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter.
• Cut out centers of half the cookies with a 1/2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter.
• Place cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheets, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.
• Let cool on pan for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
• Spread cherry jam evenly over flat sides of uncut cookies.
• Top with flat sides of cutout cookies.
• Return to baking sheets, and bake for 2 minutes.
• Let cool completely on wire racks.