Pistachio Shortbread with Dark Chocolate

This is what the perfect companion to a morning cup of coffee looks like. Flakey, buttery shortbread shaped into a stick for easy dipping. It would be a far cry to call these “wholesome” or “healthy” (especially with your morning coffee), unlike so many recipes on this blog. But they’re beautiful, delicious and just the festive treat I wanted this month. Happy baking season!

Pistachio Shortbread with Dark Chocolate

Published December 12, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Yields: 24   |    Active Time: 45 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 cup (2 standard sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 to 2/3 cup sugar, see note - depending on how sweet you want your cookies, plus extra for topping

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsalted, shelled pistachios, plus extra for topping

1-2 tablespoons water

4-6 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate of choice

Directions:

1. Beat together butter and sugar using and electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer will both work fine). When creamy, add vanilla and beat in.
2. Sift together flour and salt. Add to butter mixture. Beat on low until a crumbly mixture forms. Continue to beat, adding 1 teaspoon of water at a time until a dough begins to come together. Dough will still be crumblely, but should stick together when pinched between two fingers.
3. Roughly chop pistachios, and fold into batter.
4. Shape dough into a disc, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment or a sil-pat.
6. Roll cookie dough with a rolling pin to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into 1x3 inch rectangles, and place cut cookies on baking sheet. Optionally, sprinkle with a few pinch of granulated sugar.
7. Bake cookies for 20-25 minutes, until cookies just begin to turn golden. Place cookies on cooling rack.
8. When cookies are completely cool, melt chocolate for dipping: place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring between every set to avoid burning. When chocolate is smooth, dip cookies: working one at a time, dip the cookies into the chocolate. Allow the access to run off, and then place on cooling rack. Optionally, sprinkle chocolate with finely chopped pistachios.
9. Note: The amount of sugar in this recipe can be varied between 1/2 cup and 2/3 cups sugar. Use 1/2 cup if you prefer slightly less sweet desserts, of 2/3 cups for more traditionally sweet cookies.

No-Churn, 5-Ingredient Pistachio Ice Cream

One of the first fare-weather recipes I shared this year was for No-Churn Rhubarb Crisp Ice Cream. There is some debate in the house on whether making a rhubarb crisp and turning it into ice cream is a good use of time, but I’ll tell you where I stand: ice cream is delicious.

In that same blog post, I promised to share some of the other recipe adaptions I had tried, including this winner, which causes no hot debates in the house. Other than who is getting the last scoop, of course. All you need is 5 ingredients, including real pistachios. (Real pistachios are important—something anyone who has ever bought a pistachio ice cream that tasted more like pistachio liquor than actual pistachios will understand).

No-Churn, 5-Ingredient Pistachio Ice Cream

Published July 23, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 12   |    Active Time: 20 active minutes

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Ingredients:

2/3 cup shelled, roasted, unsalted pistachios, divided

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

Pinch salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups whipping cream 

Directions:

1. Place half (1/3 cup) of pistachios in a blender, and blend on high until a paste begins to form. Add sweetened condensed milk, salt, and vanilla to blender and blend again until fully combined and smooth. Transfer for a small mixing bowl.
2. In a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl, beat whipping cream with electric beaters until firm peaks form.
3. Gently fold 1 cup of the whipped cream into the pistachio mixture until combined. Then, scape pistachio mixture into the rest of the whipped cream, gently folding it in. Do not over mix (you want as much air in the whipping cream as possible!). A few streaks of green or white are OK.
4. Scrape the ice cream mixture into a glass pyrex with air-tight lid (about 9x5 inches, or equivalent volume). Place lid on container, and place flat in freezer for 2 hours.
5. After 2 hours, gently swirl in remaining pistachios to taste, and sprinkle some pistachios on top. Place lid back on ice cream and freeze for at least 3 more hours before serving.

Pistachio Butter Chocolate Cups

Usually, pistachios just taste like nuts to me (roasted, salted, a bit crunchy) but when they are churned into smooth nut butter, they take on a whole new personality: slightly citrusy — or floral? - bold, and nutty. Pistachio butter isn't quite as thick as peanut butter or almond butter, lacking the "glue your mouth shut" characteristic you know well if you've ever eaten a PB&J sandwich. 

Still, it's rich and creamy, and pairs well with my favorite ingredient. Chocolate. 

Plus it makes chocolate cups so pretty when you bite into them!

I made these with Oliver in mind because he loves pistachios, but they're becoming my favorite chocolate nut butter cup quickly, too. In part because they are just different — not something you can find the store! It's a little unexpected, and feels special, knocking peanut butter cups out of the way and showing up almond butter cups with their bold green filling. 

I add a sprinkle of sea salt for good measure — it makes everything “pop” a little more, and adds a bit of sparkle. Perfect around the holidays!

This post may contain affiliate links. 

Pistachio Butter Cups

Published June 13, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Pistachios make a colorful filling for these chocolate cups!

Serves: 12   |    Total Time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 12 small cupcake liners or 6 regular cupcake liners
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips 
• 1/4 cup pistachio butter (Make this by blending 1/2 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios in a high speed blender until creamy) 
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
• Sprinkle of sea salt or fleur de sel
• Optional: 12 pistachios (shelled) for topping

Directions:

1. Melt the chocolate: place chocolate and coconut oil in a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, and stir. Repeat 2-3 times, until chocolate is almost entirely melted (if small clumps remain, they should melt from residual heat). By heating for only 30 seconds at a time, you will avoid overheating the chocolate.
2. Spoon chocolate into the cupcake liners (2 teaspoons for small liners and 4 for standard size). Then, while the chocolate is still warm, tilt the liners one at a time from side to side so that the chocolate goes about half way up the sides of the liners. Place on a tray and transfer to the fridge to set.
3. When the chocolate is set, use a teaspoon to scoop pistachio butter into each chocolate cup (1 teaspoon for small cups, 2 for standard sized). Then, pour 1 teaspoon of the remaining chocolate over the pistachio butter and use the back of a spoon to gently spread it over the top. Sprinkle each cup with a small amount of seas salt and top with a pistachio. Allow to set in the fridge.