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Pistachio Shortbread Cookies

Three pistachio shortbread cookies with fresh pistachios stacked up.
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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.

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
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup (90 grams) powdered sugar
  • 1-½ cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Add in the flour and pulse until the dough just comes together.
  4. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the dough out and onto the middle of a large sheet of parchment paper.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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. 
  11. Using a sharp knife, cut each log crosswise into even ½-inch-thick slices. 
  12. Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, spaced evenly apart. They will spread slightly. 
  13. 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.
  14. 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.

Find it online: https://everydaypie.com/pistachio-shortbread-cookies/