This Pistachio Sugar Cookies recipe has a perfect pistachio flavor thanks to homemade pistachio paste with a soft pistachio buttercream center that makes these large cookies a great baked snack.
One of these is perfectly paired with a hot cup of tea or coffee, or as an addition to a lunch box or perfect to share with loved ones at an afternoon tea. Thanks to their unique color and soft texture, these cookies are unlike something you can buy.
Why you’ll love these
Unique Flavor
These cookies have a distinct pistachio flavor that sets them apart from traditional sugar cookies. The nutty taste of pistachios complements the sweetness of sugar and creates a deliciously unique flavor.
Crunchy Texture
Pistachios provide a delightful crunch to these cookies. The nutty bits add a satisfying texture to every bite, making the cookies more enjoyable to eat.
Versatility
Pistachio Sugar Cookies can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. They are perfect for snacking, as a dessert, or even as a gift. They can be paired with a hot cup of tea or coffee or enjoyed on their own.
Ingredients and substitutions for Pistachio Sugar Cookies
- Butter: Unsalted butter is used for the cookie, but if all you have on hand is salted, that works as a fine substitute, just leave out any salt suggested in the recipe.
- Sugar: Confectioners or icing sugar dissolves into the buttercream and the superfine or caster sugar adds to the sugar portion of our cookies creating a nice balance without making them overly sweet.
- Eggs: The eggs bind and add structure to our cookies resulting in that soft interior that compliments the sugar and butter.
- Pistachios: The absolute star of this dish is the pistachio paste you can make (or buy). Their flavor is unparalled when compared to other nuts so don’t completely recommend substituting, however, you could try hazelnuts or peanuts in equal measure, if you prefer.
- Flour: Plain or all purpose flour is best for a nice light cookie crumb.
- Baking powder: This helps our cookies rise so they are not stodgy.
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment needed to make this
Food processor or Blender / immersion blender: To make the pistachio paste you need a blender or immersion blender and will need to pulse the pistachios frequently to get the paste going, but this is so worth it! That is, if you can’t buy it.
Greaseproof paper: Lining your baking tray will make getting the soft cookies off easy.
Hand or stand mixer: To whip the butter for the dough and that buttercream, this is best done with a mixer.
Mixing bowl: You’ll need two medium mixing bowls to mix the cookie dough and buttercream.
Ice Cream Scoop: The scoop used here creates large cookies with a diameter of 6 centimeters / 2.36 inches.
Offset spatula: A small offset spatula will help you smooth out the buttercream nice and evenly. A butter knife or back of a tablespoon will also do the trick.
FAQ’s for the best Pistachio Sugar Cookies
How do you make pistachio paste?
You need raw pistachios to begin with and for this recipe 140 grams, approximately 1 cup and will need to blanche them to peel fully.
This is done by boiling water and placing your pistachios into a rolling boil for 1 minute. Drain and wrap your pistachios in a clean dry tea towel, rubbing to dry and peel most of the skins off. You might have to peel some portions by hand.
Place into a blender and pulse, scrapping down the sides until you have a paste and the oils from your pistachios are visible. The pistachios might look like a paste and fine at the stage before the oils become visible, so keep pulsing and scrapping until you see the oils forming on the edges of your blender or food processor.
Set your pistachio paste aside where it will keep in a covered and dark space for up to 2 weeks. If you are adding this paste to a dish that doesn’t specify sugar, you can sweeten before finishing up by adding 50 grams / ½ cup confectioner’s or icing sugar to your blender once the paste is formed.
For further reading re the blanching this information was very helpful and this link was helpful in making the paste.
Can I make pistachio paste ahead?
Yes!! This holds for 2 weeks covered and kept in a cool dark place!
More pistachio recipes you’ll enjoy
How to make Pistachio Sugar Cookies:
Preheat your oven to 180C/350F and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Place the butter and sugars into a bowl and beat until pale and fluffy, approximately 4 minutes.
Add in the egg and beat until well combined and fluffy.
Pour in the vanilla extract and beat until just combined.
Add in your pistachio paste and beat until combined and smooth.
In a separate bowl, place the flour, baking powder and salt and stir.
Toss into your pistachio butter mixture and beat until just combined and smooth.
Scoop up a portion of dough and place onto your baking tray with 1 ½ inches between each cookie.
Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and press the center with a flat bottomed glass.
Return to the oven for 5 minutes or until lightly matt looking.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the tray before placing on a cooling rack.
To make the buttercream filling, place the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat on medium with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, approximately 4 minutes.
Fold in the pistachio paste until smooth.
Take a heaped tablespoonful of the buttercream and smear over the center of the cookie.
Drizzle over a little of the pistachio paste.
Serve up!
Pistachio Sugar Cookies
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Makes 10 large cookies
- Category: Cookies
Description
These soft pistachio sugar cookies recipe includes a homemade pistachio paste in the batter and buttercream making these cookies full of pistachio flavor and a real cookie treat.
Ingredients
Pistachio Cookies
150 grams / 5.3 ounces butter, softened
65 grams / ⅔ cup confectioner’s/icing sugar
50 grams /1/4 cup superfine/caster sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50 grams / 3 tablespoons pistachio paste
282 grams / 1 ¾ cups plain flour
2 grams / ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
Pistachio Buttercream
100 grams / 3.5 ounces butter, softened
100 grams / ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons confectioner/icing sugar, sifted
40 grams / 2 ¼ tablespoons pistachio paste
Instructions
Pistachio cookies
- Preheat your oven to 180C/350F and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Place the butter and sugars into a bowl and beat until pale and fluffy, approximately 4 minutes.
- Add in the egg and beat until well combined and fluffy.
- Pour in the vanilla extract and beat until just combined.
- Add in your pistachio paste and beat until combined and smooth.
- In a separate bowl, place the flour, baking powder and salt and stir.
- Toss into your pistachio butter mixture and beat until just combined and smooth.
- Scoop up a portion of dough and place onto your baking tray with 1 ½ inches between each cookie.
- Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and press the center with a flat bottomed glass.
- Return to the oven for 5 minutes or until lightly matt looking.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the tray before placing on a cooling rack.
Pistachio buttercream
- Place the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat on medium with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, approximately 4 minutes.
- Fold in the pistachio paste until smooth.
- Take a heaped tablespoonful of the buttercream and smear over the center of the cookie.
- Drizzle over a little of the pistachio paste.
- Serve up!
Notes
Recipe by Roamingtaste
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 422 calories
Keywords: pistachio cookies, sugar cookie recipe, pistachio baking
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