Pistachio Shortbread Cookies Food

PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, grind pistachios until fine but not powdery. Divide ground pistachios equally between sanding sugar and flour; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add vanilla and salt, and beat for 1 minute. Add yolks one at a time, and beat until evenly combined. Add flour and pistachio mixture, and mix until just combined. Remove dough, and form into a 4-by-6-inch rectangle; wrap in plastic, and chill for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats) or parchment paper, and set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. Brush dough with the egg white to moisten. Cover evenly with pistachio-sanding-sugar mixture. Lightly press mixture into dough with the rolling pin. Using a 1 1/2-inch fluted square cookie cutter, cut cookies as close as possible to avoid waste. Place on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake until edges are just lightly golden, about 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

SALTED PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Process pistachios in a food processor until finely ground. Remove 2 tablespoons and set aside.
• Add confectioners' sugar, butter and salt and pulse until well combined. Add flour and process until a slightly sticky dough forms (if your food processor is having trouble here, just dump dough out onto a counter or a bowl and mix by hand until no dry spots remain).
• Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan or tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick spray or softened butter and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
• Press dough into the pan into an even layer (you can use your hands, or use the bottom of a measuring cup to press dough into an even layer). Dust with confectioners' sugar and sprinkle with reserved 2 tablespoons ground pistachios and flaky salt.
• Bake until cookie is just golden around the edges and dough is baked through, 17 to 22 minutes.
• Once cookie is out of the oven, remove from springform or tart pan. Dust with more confectioners' sugar, if you like. Before it cools, slice cookie into 24 thin wedges (start by cutting the circle into quarters, then slice each quarter in half, then each half into thirds to get nice, thin triangles.
• Let cookies cool completely before transferring them (they will be soft and easily broken if moved before cooled).

SALTED CHOCOLATE PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper leaving enough overhang around the sides to easily lift shortbread out. (Parchment is used so you can easily remove the shortbread and not cut it while it's in the pan.)
• Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat together until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla, salt, and flour and beat on low speed, gradually increasing to high speed as the mixture combines. Add 2/3 cup of the finely chopped pistachios, reserving the rest for sprinkling on top of the chocolate. Dough will be very crumbly.
• Press 1/2 of the dough into each of the prepared cake pans. You want it nice and compact in each pan.
• Bake the shortbread for 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top and around the edges.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the shortbread from the pans by picking it up with the parchment paper on the sides. Cut each into 12 wedges. You want to make sure you cut the shortbread while it's still warm. Allow to cool completely on the parchment before dipping into chocolate.
• Melt the chopped chocolate in the microwave in 20 second increments, stopping and stirring after each until completely smooth. Dip the shortbread ends into chocolate and sprinkle with remaining chopped pistachios and sea salt. Allow chocolate to completely set.

PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Pulse pistachios in a food processor until finely ground but not a paste, about 30 seconds. Add flour, sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla; pulse until mixture is the consistency of cornmeal. With machine running, drizzle in 2 tablespoons ice water (a crumbly dough should form; do not overprocess).
• Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment paper and pat into a rectangle. Top with another sheet of parchment and roll out to a 12x8" rectangle. Transfer dough (in parchment paper) to a baking sheet and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
• Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°F. Remove top sheet of parchment paper from dough and discard. Cut dough lengthwise into 8 equal strips, then each strip crosswise into quarters, forming 32 rectangles. Place rectangles on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1" apart.
• Bake shortbread until golden brown, rotating sheets halfway through, 18-20 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool.
• DO AHEAD: Shortbread can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Mix flour, powdered sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter, pistachios, egg yolk, and vanilla. Using on/off turns, mix until moist ball forms. Transfer dough to work surface. Divide dough in half. Form each dough half into 8 x 1 1/4-inch log (if dough is too soft, chill until firm, about 30 minutes). Wrap logs in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 5 days ahead; keep chilled.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Slice logs into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, rolling log after every few slices to retain round shape. Place rounds on ungreased baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake shortbread until barely golden, about 18 minutes. Cool shortbread on baking sheets. DO AHEAD Shortbread can be made up to 4 days ahead. Store shortbread in airtight container at room temperature.

PISTACHIO CRANBERRY SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Sift together flour, cinnamon and salt then add gradually into the stand mixer on low speed until just combined.
• Add in the pistachios, cranberries and orange zest and mix for just 5 seconds until combined.
• Separate the dough into two balls and roll into logs.
• Wrap each piece of dough with saran wrap and freeze for 3 hours.
• Cut cookies 1/2" thick and bake for 12-15 minutes or until just golden.

CRANBERRY PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl whisk the flour with the salt and cinnamon.
• In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth (about 1 - 2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until smooth and creamy (about 3 minutes). Beat in the zest and vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Fold in the chopped pistachios and dried cranberries. (Make sure that the nuts and cranberries are evenly distributed throughout the dough.).
• Divide the dough in half. Place each half of dough on the center of a 14 inch (35 cm) length of parchment or wax paper (plastic wrap will work too). Smooth and shape the dough into an evenly shaped rectangle that is about 10 inches (25 cm) long and 2 inches (5 cm) wide. Then thoroughly wrap the shaped logs in the parchment or wax paper, twists the ends of the paper to seal the logs, and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours, or up to three days. (The logs can also be frozen for about two months. If freezing, it is best to defrost the logs in the refrigerator overnight before slicing and baking.).
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) with the rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Using a thin bladed knife, slice the logs into ¼ to ½ inch (.5 to 1 cm) thick cookies. If dough is too hard to slice you may need to let the log set our for 5 minutes. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
• Bake for about 15 - 18 minutes, or until the cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Check at 12 minutes - the type of pan you use can really make a big difference in cooking time.
• Note. The original recipe calls for unsalted butter, I prefer my shortbread with salted butter, so try it either way.

ROSE PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Combine flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add cubed butter and rub everything together until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Add egg yolk and combine until a solid ball of dough is formed. Work in pistachios and rose petals.
• Roll dough into a log, approximately 1 inch in diameter and 10 inches long. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 2 hours, or up to 5 days if making ahead.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove plastic wrap from dough once it's chilled and solid. Unwrap and slice into 1/4-inch rounds and place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until shortbread has a light golden color, about 15 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container.

PISTACHIO ORANGE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 11-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat the butter and sugar until combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks and orange zest and beat until combined. Beat in the flour, salt and baking powder. Add the pistachios and beat just until evenly distributed.
• Tip the dough into the prepared pan and press it into an even layer. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle the top of the dough with sanding sugar and bake on a rimmed baking sheet until the shortbread is golden brown and set, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet holding the tart pan to a rack to cool for a few minutes. While the dough is still warm, remove the pan edges and cut the cookie into wedges. Let cool completely.
• Carefully separate the wedges and set them on a work surface. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Let stand at room temperature until the chocolate has set, about 1 hour.

PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in pistachios., Preheat oven to 300°. On a surface sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a 2-1/2-in. fluted round cookie cutter dusted with confectioners' sugar. Place cookies 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until edges begin to brown, 18-20 minutes. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., Spread preserves on bottoms of half of the cookies; cover with remaining cookies. If desired, combine confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over cookies.

PISTACHIO-SHORTBREAD SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• In a food processor, process butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt until smooth. Add flour and pulse until a dough forms. Stir in pistachios. Shape dough into two 8-inch-long logs, tightly wrap in plastic, and freeze until firm, 30 minutes (or up to 1 month).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Cut dough into 1/4-inch slices and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are set and barely golden at edges, 10 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
• Spread 1/2 teaspoon jam on bottoms of half the cookies, then sandwich with remaining cookies. Store in airtight containers, up to 1 week.

PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix flour, powdered sugar, and saslt in processor. Add butter, pistachios, egg yolk, and vanilla.
• Using on and off turns, mix until moist ball forms. Transfer dough to work surface. Divide dough in half. Form each half into 8 X 1 1/4" log (if dough is too soft, chill until firm, about 30 minutes). Wrap logs in plastic, refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours. Can be made 5 days ahead, keep chilled.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Slice logs into 1/4" rounds, rolling log every few slices to retain round shape. Place rounds on ungreased baking sheets, spacing 1" apart.
• Bake shortbreads until barely golden, about 18 minutes. Cool shortbread on baking sheets.
• Store in airthight container at room temperature.

PISTACHIO CHERRY SHORTBREAD COOKIE TOWER (KRANSEKAKE)

Steps:

• Beat together the butter and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until combined. Add the vanilla and mix until just combined.
• In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, ground pistachios and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar, beating just to combine. Add the dried cherries and mix just until combined; the mixture will look crumbly. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead few times with your hands until the dough comes together. Divide into 3 pieces and form each piece into a disk; wrap with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll the dough, one disc at a time, to 1/3-to-1/2-inch thick. Cut 2 rounds with a 6-inch cutter. Cut the center from each with a 4-inch cutter to create rings. Then cut 2 rounds with a 5 1/2-inch cutter and use a 3 1/2-inch cutter to create rings. Cut 2 rounds with a 5-inch cutter and use a 3-inch cutter to create rings. Cut 2 rounds with a 4 1/2-inch cutter and use a 2 1/2-inch cutter to make rings. Cut 2 rounds with a 4-inch cutter and use a 2-inch cutter to make rings. Cut 2 rounds with a 3 1/2-inch cutter and use a 1 1/2-inch cutter to make rings. Cut 2 rounds with a 3-inch cutter and use a 1-inch cutter to make rings. Cut 2 rounds with a 2 1/2-inch cutter and 2 rounds with a 2-inch cutter, leaving them whole. You may gather and reroll the scraps up to 2 times if needed but you will need to chill the dough before rerolling.
• Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1 inch of space in between. Bake until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown, about 22 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies completely on a wire rack before assembling.
• When ready to assemble, stack the two 6-inch ring cookies atop each other, using the white Royal Icing to adhere to one another creating a sandwich. Repeat with the other like-size cookies so they are all in 2-cookie stacks.
• To assemble the tower, pipe white icing on the bottom of the stack of 6-inch cookies and set it on a decorative platter (the icing will help it adhere). Decorate the cookies with swags of red icing and add the next-largest sandwich. Continue decorating with swags of alternating colors of icing and stacks of cookies in descending sizes. Finish with the solid rounds on top.
• Add the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; turn on low to combine. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, beating with the mixer on medium speed until the icing is thick and glossy but soft enough to pipe. Divide among 3 bowls, tinting one red, one green and leaving one white. Transfer the icing to plastic piping bags; snip off the corners.