Pistachios are one of my favorite nuts, and I’ve decided to use them as the main ingredient in these easy to make cookies. On top of adding their unique flavor and creamy texture, they give the cookies an interesting and appetizing greenish color.
I’ve also used another favorite ingredient of mine – orange zest – which added wonderful aroma to the cookies. To deepen this aroma, and for some added flavor and texture, I’ve added some candied orange zest on top of the orange icing. All this created these tasty cookies. Try them and enjoy.
Notes:
* If you prefer sweeter cookies, or if you choose not to add the icing, increase the amount of sugar according to your taste, up to 1 cup.
* If you choose to add the icing, note that it will soften the cookies after a while, so it’s best to add it close to serving. The candied orange zest can be made in advance.
* The dough can be frozen, wrapped in wax paper and placed in a freezer bag, for up to two months.
* To bake the cookies from frozen, add 2-3 minutes to the baking time.
Makes: about 60
Prep time: 20 minutes
Chilling time: 2 hours (or freezing, see notes)
Baking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
½ cup raw pistachios
1 stick butter (115 grams), soft
1 L egg
½ cup sugar (see notes)
1 Tbs finely grated orange zest (from ½ large orange)
1½ cups flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
For the candied orange peel:
Thinly sliced orange zest, from ½ large orange
1/3 cup water
2 Tbs sugar
For the orange icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tsp fresh orange juice
For serving:
1/4 cup roughly chopped raw pistachios
1. The cookies: process the pistachios finely in a spice grinder and place in a bowl, with the butter, egg, sugar and orange zest. Whisk together and add the flour, baking powder and salt. Knead briefly, to form a soft dough. Divide the dough in half, roll each half to a log of about 1.6” (4 cm) thick, and about 11” (28cm) long, and wrap with wax paper. Place in the fridge for two hours (or freeze, see notes).
2. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Line cookie sheet with baking paper. With a sharp knife, slice the logs into thin slices, about 0.2”(0.5 cm).
3. Bake for 10 minutes, checking the bottom of the cookies for doneness by gently lifting one with a spatula. Transfer to a rack to cool completely before adding the icing, candied orange and chopped pistachio.
4. The candied orange: mix the ingredients in a small pan, bring to the boil, lower the heat and cook until the water evaporates and the orange peels are soft and shiny.
5. The icing: place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add a few drops of the orange juice, while mixing, to form a thick icing.
So yummy recipe 🙂
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Thank you! 🙂
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Lovely cookies! Thank you, Ronit, for another great idea!
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Thank you Dolly, I’m glad you liked the cookies. They turned out so good, worth sharing! חג שמח! 🙂
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Hag Chanukkah Sameach!
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Toda Raba! 😉
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I’d almost forgotten about pistachios! They were available in Trader Joe’s in reasonably-priced bags for years, and I always kept a bag around for direct snacking. I get there only about every other year now, so kind of lost track of my usual purchases. Must fire up a special Trader Joe’s list on my phone, so when I am lucky enough to be there, I won’t stand in the aisle with question marks all over above my head!
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Sounds like a plan! Though there’s always the online option as well.
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Online? Trader Joe’s offers online delivery? Please tell me this is true! My best source of favorites is the nice man in the brown suit, so if he could be persuaded to bring me Trader Joe’s items, I would be thrilled! I’ve enquired in the past, but was always told that they don’t do that!
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No I was talking in general.
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Oh, right! I use that source to the max. VitaCost, Amazon, Azure Standard, and iHerb are my favorites.
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Awesome ! I guess pista & orange a fantastic combination !!
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Thank you Megala. You’re so right, pistachios and orange is a wonderful combination. 🙂
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seems delicious!!!
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Thank you Reena. 🙂
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Thank you. Sounds like a delicious combination! 🙂
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Thank you Tonya, I’m glad you liked the cookies. They are indeed quite delicious. Hard to stop with one… 🙂
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😊🍪🍪🍪
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Ronit, your posts make me wish I could lock myself away in the kitchen for the day and bake. I’m with you – pistachios are one of my favourite nuts too. They look so delicious.
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Thank you Tracey, for such a great compliment. I’m more of a cook at heart and less of a precise bake, so in order to enjoy baking, I usually come up with my own recipes. This one really highlights the wonderful flavor and color of pistachios. Definitely a keeper. 🙂
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Looks like another recipe from you on my “make now list”. Favorites too with pistachios and orange not only in the cookies, but the candied peel and icing. Beautiful cookie any time of the year 🙂
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Thank you Judi, I’m glad you liked the cookies. I really enjoyed preparing them, and was happy with how good they came out. I’ll be making them again soon. I like them the best with herbal or green tea. 🙂
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Never tried the combination of oranges and pistachios, sounds great!
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Thank you Krešo. I’m sure that when you’ll taste this combination you’ll get hooked, 🙂
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These look so good, Ronit!
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Thank you Rini. They were very good indeed! 🙂
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Ohh so yummy cookies … Superb
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Thank you Ruchi, I’m glad you liked the cookies. They were very tasty. 🙂
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Definitely … I can smell here too
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🙂
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Lovely, Ronit. No icing needed to enjoy this biscuit.
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Thank you Mary. The cookies are indeed good with or without the icing. I know because I’ve tried both! 🙂
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Whenever I ice cookies, I let them set out for several hours to give the icing time to get firm. Then I store them in a plastic container or cookie tin. I put a piece of waxed paper between each lay of cookies. It seems like it’s worked well, and the cookies haven’t softened. I’m not sure whether that technique would keep these Pistachio and Orange Cookies from getting soft.
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It really depends on the type of icing and cookies. For example, shortbread cookies with royal icing can keep well for days without softening. But here the cookies are thin so after a few hours they will soften.
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I did think the looked a little green! I thought it was my computer, lol!! Lovely recipe and packed with gorgeous flavor!
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lol No, it’s not you, it’s me… 🙂 Some people mistake them for the new trendy cookies made with green matcha powder, which I’m yet to try. For now I’m sticking with this favorite combination of pistachios and orange. So good! 🙂
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I haven’t tried Matcha, either. The whole idea doesn’t thrill me. But pistachio orange sounds so good!
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It is indeed! 🙂
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I love anything with pistachio! They look yummy Ronit and so prettily decorated too!!
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Thank you Marisa, I’m glad to find another pistachio fan! The cookies turned out so tasty. Well worth sharing 🙂
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Another stunning cookie, Ronit! Pistachios are my favorite nuts too and I love the flavor combination you have with the orange!
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Thank you Sandhya! The combination of pistachios and orange is really so delightful. I’ve already made another batch…:)
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What a lovely combination. Excellent post.
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Thank you Payal, I’m glad you liked the cookies. It is indeed a very tasty combination. 🙂
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Such a wonderful recipe and I love that there’s no punching out of cookies… just slice and bake!
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Thank you Annika, I’m glad you liked the recipe. The cookies are indeed easy to make – and very tasty. 🙂
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This is such a fabulous change from the typical use if almonds. I’ve never had a pistachio cookie before. That will change soon 😊🖒
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Thank you Myra, I’m glad you liked the cookies.
You’re so right, pistachios are not used enough in cookies. Most of the recipes I’ve seen call for using pistachio pudding with food coloring(?!) – so so I came up with these ones. No comparison! 🙂
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Pistachio pudding in cookies should be against the law. I’m definitely trying your cookies though. 😊
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I totally agree! I can’t understand why anyone would even bother.
Hope you’ll enjoy these tasty cookies. I now have two more logs in the freezer. It’s good to be prepared! 🙂
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🖒☺
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These look great! I love the idea of shaping the dough into a log to make for easy slicing!
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Thank you Marcella, I’m glad you liked the cookies. I agree, this method of shaping and slicing makes for very easy preparation. Highly recommended! 🙂
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Ronit, you always serve up the most fabulous recipes! I’ll take a shipment of 50 please, haha! 🙂
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Thank you Annie, for such a great compliment!
Don’t settle for a shipment – these are so easy to make, you’ll far more enjoy them fresh out of the oven. 🙂
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I should have brought back candied oranges from Croatia! That would have helped to make yummy cookies along with Sicilian pistachios!
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It could have been a fabulous combination. But an ordinary orange can also do the job. 🙂
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Of course☺
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That looks tempting. I will try this. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you Pooja, I’m glad you liked the recipe. It’s my pleasure to share. 🙂
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The cookies look very very tasty and I think that I already can smell them!Loved the method of shaping them too!Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Happy holidays Ronit!
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Thank you Teti, I’m glad you liked the recipe. The cookies do smell so good, coming out fresh from the oven. Happy Holidays to you too! 🙂
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Really pretty. And they don’t look too hard to decorate! When I catered and I had to serve a cookie, I really loved refrigerator cookies, but I didn’t decorate them!
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Thank you Mimi, I’m glad you liked the cookies. I too love freezer cookies, The decoration is obviously only an option, though a very tasty one. 🙂
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A very interesting combination! Delicious looking cookies Ronit. Just right for the holidays. Have a wonderful week ahead.
Ana ✨
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Thank you Ana, I’m glad you liked the cookies. This is indeed a delicious combination. Have a great weekend! 🙂
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Love the combination of flavors here, Ronit! Happy Holidays!!
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Thank you Debbie, I’m glad you liked this tasty combination. Happy Holidays to you too! 🙂
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Why I haven’t seen this recipe at Christmas?!..
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You can practice making (and eating!) them until next Christmas… 🙂
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Great idea! I will try them for sure.
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