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Rich, buttery shortbread butter cookies with crunchy pistachios and dipped in melted chocolate and sprinkled with fresh orange zest and chopped pistachios. A beautiful and festive Christmas cookie!
Chocolate-Dipped Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
A buttery shortbread cookie is definitely underrated. It is a simple cookie made with only a few ingredients and it definitely highlights the star ingredient — butter.
The beauty of a shortbread cookie is that it is basically a blank canvas to add any flavorings and toppings your heart desires.
Since it is Christmas time and we are putting together goodie plates, I wanted to create a festive shortbread cookie with pistachios, dipped in dark chocolate, and sprinkled with fresh orange zest and chopped pistachios. It is the perfect combination of flavors! I also share a Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookie Recipe.
Homemade shortbread cookies are made with only a few ingredients — butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, flour, and a touch of heavy cream or milk. They are rolled into a log and chilled to firm up to prevent spreading. Then they are cut into slices and baked until the edges start to turn a slight golden color.
How to make Pistachio Shortbread Cookies:
- Start by using room temperature salted butter. You want the butter to be soft enough to incorporate into the sugar. Traditionally, shortbread cookie dough is crumbly so you want to make sure the butter is soft enough.
- Cream the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until it is crumbly but coming together. You can do this in a stand mixer such as a Kitchenaid, use a hand mixer, or use a food processor. I will tell you that I have tried all three methods and the easiest by far is the food processor. It helps the dough to come together beautifully.
- Then add in heavy cream or milk. Start with 1 Tablespoon and add a little more, if still crumbly. The dough will come together as you press it into a log.
- If you want to add in any mix-ins, this is the time to do it! Fold in pistachios, almonds, orange zest, or anything your heart desires.
- Place the dough onto a floured surface. Roll into a cylinder shape and wrap with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator and let chill for at least 30 minutes.
- After chilling, remove the plastic wrap, and cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch rounds. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes.
- Once cooled, dip in melted chocolate and sprinkle with orange zest and chopped pistachios.
If you want to find more CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES, CLICK HERE.
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Chocolate Dipped Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter (softened to room temperature)
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract (or 1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract)
- 2 cups Flour
- 1 Tablespoon Heavy Cream or Milk (may add 1-3 teaspoons more)
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 cup Pistachios (chopped)
Chocolate Dipped:
- 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate
- 1 Tablespoon Oil
- 1/4 cup Chopped Pistachios
- Orange Zest
Instructions
- In a food processor or large mixing bowl, mix together butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt together until crumbs form. Add heavy cream or milk. If the mixture is very crumbly, add a little more milk or cream. Fold in pistachios. Take your hands and press the dough together until it forms a ball.
- Roll onto a floured surface. Form into a cylinder log shape. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and seal tight. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to chill.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut log into 1 to 1 1/2 inch slices and place on parchment paper or Silpat lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-15 minutes or until the color begins to slightly change on the edges of the cookie. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Melted Chocolate:
- Place chocolate and oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments until melted. Stir after each round. This will take about 1-2 minutes. Dip half of the shortbread cookies into the chocolate. Quickly sprinkle with chopped pistachios and lightly sprinkle with orange zest, if desired.
- Place on a cooling rack to allow the chocolate to set-up and harden.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gorgeous Christmas cookies!
Can these be refrigerated overnight before baking?
These cookies are not only beautiful….but they are fabulous!
These cookies are perfect!
You cannot cut these into 1-1 1/2 rounds and have 24 cookies unless you are making a super tiny cookie. I cut them into 1/2 inch rounds, which did give me 24 cookies.
You had me at the picture, amazing pic. Mine didn’t look as pretty as yours but they definitely tasted amazing. I love pistachios so this was a nice add to the cookie.
Love this combo of flavors! Amazing cookies.