Both beautiful and delicious, these buttery, melt-in-your-mouth Pistachio Shortbread Cookies are a must-make. Easily made in the food processor, this brightly-hued shortbread cookie is destined become a new family-favorite recipe.
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It turns out that after developing my "Ted Lasso Biscuit" recipe, I discovered a love for shortbread. I had no idea a simple mixture of butter, sugar, and flour could result in such a transcendent treat, but it's true. I immediately put multiple versions on my recipe content calendar, and this Pistachio Shortbread Cookie recipe is the first to be born! This should come as no surprise, though, because I absolutely love pistachio (see here: Pistachio Mascarpone Pie and Pistachio Pudding).
When done right, shortbread cookies should have a perfect balance of both buttery and crumbly texture. They should be sweet and, in my opinion, slightly salty. These pistachio shortbread cookies up the ante with a subtly earthy flavor enhanced by a touch of almond extract for an extra nutty kick. Simply put, these shortbread cookies are perfect for any occasion.
So, let's get to making it, shall we? The article below is jam-packed full of useful information. You can jump around using the menu below, or skip to the end of the article for the full recipe.
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Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Here is an overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. I don't usually say this, but because there are so few ingredients, it's best not to make any substitutions in this recipe.
- raw pistachios (avoid roasted or salted pistachios because they will dull the color, change the flavor, and upset the balance of salt)
- salted Kerrygold butter (If you can't find this brand, use another high-fat salted European style butter like Plugra, Cabot Extra Creamy, or Vital Farms)
- vanilla extract and almond extract (the almond extract is essential for the flavor as it is almost always paired with pistachio-flavored food)
- coarse kosher salt (this recipe was tested with Diamond Crystal kosher salt; if you use Morton's or fine table salt, the salt amount should be decreased by roughly half, or the same amount in grams)
- all-purpose flour
- powdered sugar
Making the Dough
This is a quick visual overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. This is not the actual recipe, which is located at the end of this article and has much greater detail to ensure success.
Step 1: Finely chop the nuts in a food processor; set aside half of them for later.
Step 2: Add in the wet ingredients and process until combined.
Step 3: Pulse in the flour.
Step 4: Transfer the dough to a large piece of parchment.
Step 5: Using a bench scraper and the parchment, push the dough to force it into a neat log.
Step 6: Twist the ends of the parchment to enclose the dough, wrap in plastic and chill.
The shortbread cookie dough should be chilled in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. This makes it possible to slice the cookies neatly.
Perfecting the Slice and Bake Technique
Before the cookies are baked, the cookie dough is coated in the reserved chopped pistachios. This adds a pleasant crunch and a beautiful look to the finished cookie.
Step 5: To make it easier to handle, cut the dough in half.
Step 6: Coat the solid cookie dough log in the pistachios.
Once each half of the cookie dough log is coated, slice into ½-inch-thick circles. Place them on a baking sheet evenly spaced apart. They don't spread a lot, but it's best to give them plenty of circulation room, so using two baking trays is best.
Baking Tips
Shortbread cookies are traditionally baked in a low-temperature oven. The lower oven temperature allows the cookies to set gently without browning too quickly, preserving their tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Since they are baked at a low temperature, it can be tricky to tell when shortbread cookies are finished baking. Look for a subtle change of color in the cookies (they'll go from bright green to a paler shade), and they will have an even, matte appearance.
If you are unsure if they are done, you can gently look underneath one of the cookies. It should have a very light, even golden color.
Once they are done, let them cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. These are not the type of cookies that you want to eat warm from the oven, as they will be too delicate to handle.
Serving + Storage
Shortbread should be cooled completely before serving. They are good on day 1, but they tend to get better with age and taste fantastic on days 2 and 3, too. These are great make-ahead cookies.
They will keep well for at least 3-5 days in a covered container at room temperature.
I haven't tried, but I bet they would freeze well, too.
More Cookie Recipes
More Pistachio Recipes
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PrintFull Recipe
Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Both beautiful and delicious, these buttery, melt-in-your-mouth Pistachio Shortbread Cookies are a must-make. Easily made in the food processor, this brightly-hued shortbread cookie is destined be a new family-favorite recipe.
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Chill Time: 00:60
- Cook Time: 00:22
- Total Time: 1 hour 32 minutes
- Yield: about 16 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Scottish
Ingredients
- 1 cup (115 grams) raw pistachios,
- 1 cup (226 grams) salted Kerrygold butter, softened, plus an extra teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¾ cup (90 grams) powdered sugar
- 1-½ cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Add the pistachios to a food processor and process until the nuts are finely chopped. Pour out half of the pistachios into a shallow container and set aside for later.
- To the processor with the remaining pistachios, add the butter, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Process until the pistachios and butter are creamed together. Add in the powdered sugar and process for 15 seconds.
- Add in the flour and pulse until the dough just comes together.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape the dough out and onto the middle of a large sheet of parchment paper.
- Using the spatula (or your hands), shape the dough into a rough log shape with the long side parallel to the edge of the counter. Don't worry about perfection at this stage.
- Lift the top end of the parchment paper and fold it towards you over the dough, pressing it along the bottom edge of the dough log. Align the edges of the parchment paper to encase the dough fully.
- Using a bench scraper on top of the parchment, push forward to force the dough into a tight, neat log shape inside the parchment. Roll the parchment-covered dough towards you, shaping it into a neat, even log. The log should be roughly 2 inches wide and 11 inches long.
- Twist the ends of the parchment paper to secure the dough inside. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it on a flat surface in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325ºF and place the oven racks in the middle and lower-middle parts of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Unwrap the dough and place it on a flat surface. Cut the dough log in half crosswise. Working with one piece at a time so it’s easier to manage, coat each dough log by pressing and rolling it into the set-aside ground pistachios. Once the log is coated, use your hands to press the remaining ground pistachios onto the surface of the dough.
- Using a sharp knife, cut each log crosswise into even ½-inch-thick slices.
- Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, spaced evenly apart. They will spread slightly.
- Bake in the preheated oven, switching the trays halfway through, until the cookies are set and a lighter shade of green, about 22-24 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before gently and carefully transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Have a question or looking for tips? The text written above the recipe is always a great first place to start! This Pistachio Shortbread recipe was developed with love, and I always include loads of explanations, tips, step-by-step photos and technical advice shared before the recipe.
Weighing your flour is the most accurate way to measure. If you aren't going to weigh it, make sure to spoon it into the measuring cup, then level it off. If you scoop the flour out with the measuring cup and then level, it could change the outcome of the final product.
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease by about half for volume, or use the same amount by weight.
Don't use roasted or salted pistachios because it will dull the color, change the flavor, and upset the salt balance.
I really recommend sticking with salted Kerrygold butter if you can. If you can't find it, or another high-fat salted European style butter like Plugra, Cabot Extra Creamy, Vital Farms will be ok.
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