Even though I was making 4 types of Christmas cookies, my office wouldn’t get to try any of them, so I whipped these up on a weeknight after seeing them on my friend Olga’s blog. I decided to make the pistachio cookies more festive by adding some red dried cranberries and some zingy crystallized ginger. I thought I was pretty clever turning these into Christmas-colored cookies.
Sometimes I think that chocolate is often used as a crutch in baking. It takes a really good hand to be able to make something delicious without chocolate in it that everyone will enjoy. These cookies had a firm yet delicate crumb and were extremely flavorful. I like that each bite had a bit of something else in it, an element of surprise, but some people don’t like that.
While these cookies were baking, I realized I had some chopped pistachios, cranberries, and ginger left over. I combined these with some leftover chopped hazelnuts from my homemade nutella and thought they’d make a delicious topping for one of my favorite things to make – pumpkin bread (or muffins). I scooped the bread batter into these odd shaped Panibois Baking Molds and hoped for the best, checking them often since they held varying sizes of batter. I couldn’t taste them after they baked (obviously), but I wrapped them up in cute snowflake cello-wrap and tied them with twine. I gave some to my family and some to co-workers. I’d like to think this is a more tasty version of a fruitcake, but pumpkin!
Pistachio, Cranberry, and Crystallized Ginger Cookies
By Published: January 7, 2013
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Prep: 18 mins
- Cook: 12 mins
- Ready In: 30 mins
This recipe is based off of one from Mango & Tomato, which is adapted from Joe Yonan's Serve Yourself. The recipe makes 24 small cookies, but doubled, will make 24 regular sized cookies.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups pistachios roasted, salted, shelled
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 egg yolks room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1⅓ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- cranberries diced, optional, to taste
- crystallized ginger sliced, optional, to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor, grind 1 cup of the pistachios. Slowly pour in the oil until the nuts form a paste. Coarsely chop the remaining half cup and reserve.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar until fluffy. Then add in the egg yolks and vanilla. Beat in the pistachio paste until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the four and soda. Slowly add the ingredients to the mixing bowl until just incorporated. Mix in remaining pistachios, cranberries, and ginger.
- Divide the dough into two logs and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Slice the dough into pieces and shape to be more circular if needed. Place about 2 inches apart and bake for 12 minutes at 350°. Let cool on pan until firm, then transfer to cooling rack.
- Cuisine: Cookies
they look amazing!!! of course I like all the additions you’ve made.
It couldn’t have happened without you! <3