Pistachio Spritz Cookies Food

PISTACHIO LACE COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookie dough, melt the butter and cool until tepid or barely warm to the touch, for about 40 minutes.
• Grind the pistachios and sugar in a food processor, pulsing on/off until the nuts are coarsely chopped, or chop the nuts by hand and mix them with the sugar. Blend the flour and the pistachio/sugar mixture using an electric mixer. Add the tepid butter, orange juice and Grand Marnier and mix just until evenly moistened. The dough will be wet and sticky. Spread the dough out into a 1-inch wide log on a sheet of plastic wrap. Using the wrap as an aid, roll the dough up in plastic. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, for about 6 hours. (This can be prepared ahead and refrigerated 1 week or wrapped in freezer paper and frozen several months. Defrost in the refrigerator before continuing with the recipe.)
• To bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice the dough into 1/8-inch-thick coins. Arrange as many as will fit on the prepared sheets, leaving 2 inches between the cookies. Dip a fork in water, shake dry and use it to flatten the cookies. Bake the cookies until well browned, for about 12 minutes, exchanging the position of the baking sheets in the oven halfway. Let the cookies cool on parchment until firm enough to dislodge with a spatula, for about 5 minutes. Gently transfer to racks in a single layer. Arrange and bake the remaining coins in the same manner. Cool the cookies completely on racks. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

PISTACHIO SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Pulse the pistachios and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a food processor until the nuts are finely ground and powdery. Sift with the flour and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.
• Beat the remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar and the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the pistachio mixture and beat until completely incorporated.
• Fill a cookie press with the dough according to the manufacturer's instructions. Press cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart onto 2 ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until set and golden around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED SPRITZ WASHBOARDS WITH PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Make Cookies:
• Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Make Buttery Sugar Cookie dough as directed, with the following exceptions:
• Eliminate the egg.
• Substitute 1 cup confectioners' sugar for the granulated sugar and substitute 3/4 teaspoon almond extract for the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• Pack the cylinder of the press with some of the dough. Proceed according to the cookie press instructions. Pipe the dough in 3-inch-long strips onto a large ungreased baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart. Use a paring knife to cut the dough free from the cookie press.
• Freeze or chill the cookies on the baking sheet until firm.
• Bake until edges are pale golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Cool on sheets 2 minutes, then transfer cookies with a metal spatula to racks to cool.
• Continue to pipe, chill, and bake more spritz washboards in batches with remaining dough (pipe and chill on second sheet while first sheet is baking; cool baking sheets between batches and use fresh parchment paper).
• Decorate Cookies:
• Melt chocolate (see Cooks' Notes) in a deep metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove bowl from the pan. Use a folded towel to tilt the bowl slightly, so that the melted chocolate is deep enough for dipping the cookies.
• Put pistachios in a shallow bowl.
• Set cooling racks on baking sheets.
• Dip cookies, one at a time, in chocolate so that it coats about half the cookie on the diagonal, then scrape off the excess chocolate from the bottom of the cookie against the rim of the bowl.
• Sprinkle the chocolate with some pistachios and arrange the cookies on the racks.
• Let cookies stand at room temperature until the chocolate has set, about 1 hour.

PISTACHIO COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the butter, oil and confectioners' sugar until blended (mixture will clump together). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract and food coloring. , Combine the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, cream of tarter and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour., Shape into 1-in. balls; roll in colored sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 7-9 minutes or until set. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

PISTACHIO CREAM CHEESE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until blended. Beat in egg, lemon zest, vanilla and food coloring. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Divide dough in half; shape each into a 7-1/2-in.-long roll. Roll in chopped pistachios. Wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or until firm., Preheat oven to 375°. Unwrap and cut crosswise into 1/4-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press a whole pistachio into the center of each cookie., Bake 7-9 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

PISTACHIO SPRITZ PINWHEELS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse pistachios with 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar in a food processor until finely ground.
• With a mixer on medium speed, beat butter with remaining 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in extracts and food color. Reduce speed to low; add flour, salt, and pistachio mixture and beat until combined. Add 3 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough is smooth and pliable (so it will push through press).
• Divide dough in half; spoon half into a cookie press fitted with a pinwheel design. Press cookies (2 pushes of spritzer), 1 inch apart, onto a baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat. Repeat with remaining dough and another lined baking sheet.
• Bake, rotating sheets once, until edges are pale golden, about 14 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
• Place melted chocolate in a small piping bag fitted with a small writing tip, or a resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe chocolate in center of each cookie and let set, about 1 hour. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container, between sheets of parchment or waxed paper, up to 1 week.

PISTACHIO MELT AWAYS

Steps:

• In large bowl blend sugar, butter, shortening, almond extract, eggs, pudding mix, and food color.
• Add flour, soda and salt. Mix well.
• Chill for 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 375. Shape into 1-inch balls, roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheets leaving 2 inches between coookies. Bake 8 - 10 minutes Immediately remove from sheets and cool on racks.
• Preparation time includes chill time.

PISTACHIO PINWHEELS

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse the pistachios until they're very finely ground but not yet forming a paste, about 25 second-long pulses. Transfer the ground pistachios to a small bowl and set aside.
• To the same food processor (no need to wash after grinding the pistachios), add the butter and confectioners' sugar, and process until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the yolks and almond extract, and process until the mixture is smooth and light. Add the flour and salt, and pulse, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice, until you have a stiff, uniform dough.
• Transfer two-thirds of the dough (about 10 ounces/240 grams) to a medium bowl and add the almond flour to the bowl. Use a flexible spatula to work the almond flour into the dough until you have a uniform mixture.
• Scrape the almond dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Pat it down with your hands into a thinner layer, then place a piece of parchment paper on top. Roll out the dough between the sheets of parchment into a slab measuring about 12-by-8 inches and ¼-inch thick. (Uncover the dough and use a small offset spatula to shape the dough into a rectangle if necessary.) Slide the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and refrigerate the slab until firm, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the ground pistachios to the food processor with the remaining dough and pulse until the mixture is thoroughly blended and the dough has taken on a green color, about 7 pulses. Set aside at room temperature while the almond dough chills.
• Remove the almond dough from the refrigerator and plop tablespoon-size pieces of the pistachio dough across the surface of the slab. Use the offset spatula to spread the pistachio dough across the length of the slab in an even layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the longer sides. Starting at one of the longer sides and using the parchment paper to help you, roll the dough into a tight spiraled log. Wrap the log in parchment paper and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill until the dough is very firm, at least 1 hour.
• When ready to bake, arrange two oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Sprinkle the demerara sugar across a cutting board. Remove the log from the refrigerator, unwrap, and roll across the board in the sugar, pressing down very firmly as you roll so the sugar adheres. Continue to roll and press until the entire log is coated. Using a sharp knife, shave a thin crosswise slice off of each end so you have straight sides with the full spiral exposed. Cut the log in half crosswise, then cut each half in half again to make quarters, and cut each quarter in half again for eighths. (This ensures even, equal slices.) As you cut, roll the pieces on the cutting board to prevent the pinwheels from gaining a flat side and losing their round shape. Cut each piece into 4 equal slices to make 32 cookies.
• Divide the cookies between the two prepared baking sheets and space them evenly. Bake the cookies on the upper and lower racks until they are golden around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes, switching racks and rotating the sheets front to back halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheets.

PISTACHIO ORANGE LACE COOKIES

Steps:

• Pulse pistachios and sugar together in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped (but not ground), then stir together with remaining ingredients in a bowl. Spread dough in a 12-inch-long strip on a large sheet of plastic wrap and, starting with a long side, roll up dough in plastic wrap (dough will be very soft). Chill dough on a baking sheet until firm but still malleable, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Roll dough into a 15- by 1-inch log, using plastic wrap as an aid. Halve log crosswise and chill halves, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 3 hours.
• Cut 1 half crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with a serrated knife and arrange about 2 inches apart on 2 parchment-lined large baking sheets. Flatten each cookie into a 1 1/2-inch round with the back of a fork or spoon, dipping fork in water and shaking off excess for each cookie.
• Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes total. Cool cookies on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets (line sheets with clean parchment).

LIME SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• In a big bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
• Add in sugar and baking powder; beat until combined.
• Beat in egg and lime juice until combined.
• Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer; stir in any remaining flour and the lime peel with a wooden spoon.
• Knead in enough green food coloring for desired color.
• Shape dough into two 8-inch long rolls; wrap in clear plastic wrap or waxed paper.
• Chill 4-24 hours or until firm enough to slice.
• Cut rolls into1/8-inch slices; place slices 1-inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 7-8 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.
• Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.
• Spread bottoms of half the cookies with about 1 tablespoon of Lime-Pistachio filling; top with remaining cookies, flat sides down.
• To make Lime-Pistachio Filling: in a medium-size bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
• Gradually beat in 1 1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar; beat in lime juice until smooth.
• Gradually beat in enough sifted powdered sugar (1 1/3 to 2 cups) to make of spreading consistency; stir in pistachio nuts.