Pistachio Wreath Cookies Recipes

LEMON-PISTACHIO WREATHS

Steps:

• Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Put butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in yolks, lemon zest, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and gradually mix in flour mixture. Shape into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Roll out to a generous 1/8 inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch round fluted cutter, cut out wreaths. Reroll scraps, and cut out. Cut out centers of wreaths using a 7/8-inch round cutter. Space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake until just golden, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely on wire racks.
• Stir together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Dip surface of each cookie in icing, and sprinkle with pistachios. Let set on wire racks.

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 WREATH COOKIES

Steps:

• In a food processor, process butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt until smooth. Add flour and pulse until a dough forms. Stir in pistachios. Divide dough into 2 disks; wrap each in plastic and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Working with one disk at a time, roll out on a lightly floured work surface to 1/4 inch thick. Using a 2-inch round fluted cutter, cut out wreaths. Using a 3/4-inch round cutter, cut out centers of wreaths. Reroll scraps. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Freeze until firm, 15 minutes. Bake until cookies are set and barely golden at edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer cookies on sheets to wire racks; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

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 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 COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar together; add baking powder and nutmeg and mix well with electric mixer.
• Add eggs and vanilla and continue to beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Stir in flour just until moist; fold in nuts taking care to not over mix.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or damp cloth and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Shape dough into 1 inch balls, flatten slightly with bottom of small glass.
• Place 4 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets and bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set.
• Transfer to wire rack to cool completely and enjoy.

SAINT PATRICK'S PISTACHIO COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Puree avocado in the bowl of a food processor. Add butter and blend until creamy. Add applesauce, sugar, and milk; pulse to combine. Add egg; pulse until smooth. Add pudding mix, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt; pulse until dough is smooth and pastel green.
• Place pistachio nuts in a resealable freezer bag and crush with a meat mallet. Add crushed pistachio nuts and flour to dough; pulse to combine.
• Drop tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets; flatten gently.
• Bake in the preheated oven until bottoms are beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets, 5 to 10 minutes.