You know those times when you have a fixation in the kitchen for something and you can’t help but look for it, eat it, or use it in some preparation? Well, mine for some time now has been for pistachio! Obviously, I’ve always had a love for this precious oily fruit, my origins speak for themselves, but lately, I see it everywhere! I go out and see posters advertising it, I turn on the TV and find a famous series, obviously set in Sicily, talking about it, I open the pantry, and it’s the first ingredient that appears before my eyes! In short, a torment! And when I think of a new recipe, I immediately imagine the possibility of adding it as a prestigious ingredient! And so it was for these cookies designed for my last, and this time final, outing of the column The Granary! Given the occasion, I would have liked to actually try my hand at a more important leavened product, but the timing was not in my favor! No problem, these cookies really deserve special attention for taste and texture, and they will make anyone who tastes them happy because they are irresistible! They are indeed made with a shortbread that is really easy to make with flour and pistachio cream and with a delicious soft and velvety heart, which literally melts in the mouth! In short, one leads to another! I invite you to prepare them in advance and then give them as Christmas gifts, they will be super appreciated!

CURIOSITY: Did you know that in our country a renowned quality of pistachio is cultivated? It is the green pistachio of Bronte, PDO since 2009 and a Slow Food Presidium. It is considered the green gold of Sicily and its harvest takes place once every two years on the slopes of Etna.

If you are looking for other types of Christmas cookies, I invite you to also prepare these below:

Difficulty: Very Easy
Cost: Medium
Rest time: 1 Hour
Preparation time: 10 Minutes
Portions: 15 cookies
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All seasons

Ingredients:

0.8 cups all-purpose flour
0.67 cups Type 1 flour
0.8 cups pistachio flour
0.5 cups erythritol (or brown sugar)
2.5 tbsp pistachio cream
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
6.5 tbsp pistachio cream
to taste powdered sugar

Tools:

1 Bowl
1 Rolling pin
1 Spoon
1 Cookie cutter
2 Parchment paper

Steps:

Start by working the egg and yolk with the pistachio cream in a bowl, using a hand whisk.
Add the erythritol or sugar and mix well.
Then pour in the pistachio flour and a pinch of salt and mix again.
Add a level teaspoon of baking powder.
Finally, gradually incorporate the two previously sifted flours.
Quickly work the dough with your hands until all the flour is fully absorbed.
Then transfer it to a slightly floured work surface if needed and knead until you get a smooth and homogeneous dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
At this point, roll out the shortbread between two sheets of parchment paper, using a rolling pin.
Create a disk not too thin.
Using a round cookie cutter, cut out circles about 1.5 inches in diameter.
Place half of these circles on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and fill with 1-2 teaspoons of pistachio cream.
Cover each shortbread disk with another disk and seal the edges well with a fork.
Continue until all the dough is used up and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes.
Turn off, remove from oven and let cool slightly before dusting with powdered sugar to taste.
And voila… your shortbread cookies with pistachio cream filling are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Give them as a gift for Christmas! If you can get small tin boxes, which will remain as an additional gift, it will be the best solution to keep all their fragrance intact, otherwise package them inside transparent food bags (for candy, for example), they will still be fine.

Storage

👉 You can store the filled pistachio shortbread cookies at room temperature in a tin box for several days.

Tips

🟣 You can also make a fully chocolatey version of these cookies by replacing the pistachio cream in the shortbread with hazelnut cream, or Nutella, or even almond cream.

🟣 Prepare different versions to give as gifts inside transparent food gift bags. You’ll see what a success!

THE COLUMN

The Granary–Baking time, is the column that every first and third Thursday of the month offers a basket full of incredible and irresistible ideas, lots of recipes that you can go and see, by visiting the official pages of Facebook, Instagram and also Pinterest

If you are cooking enthusiasts like us, we invite you to put on your apron and replicate our recipes! If you do, please, do not hesitate to write to us for advice and suggestions, and to let us know if you liked them!

I take this opportunity to once again heartily thank Zeudi, Sabrina, and Simona for welcoming me into their fantastic team, for encouraging me to always do better, for their affection and esteem, which I fully reciprocate! I also wish Teresa lots of luck with this new experience she has just started! And who knows, maybe one day I might return! But now, enough with the sentimentality… you absolutely must take a look at the complete basket because it is full of super inviting and delicious ideas!

Sabrina: Quick Cocoa Panettone with Dark Chocolate Chips (Butter-free Recipe)

Simona: Spiced Panettone Francesco Favorito (Semi-wholegrain)

Teresa: Danubio Tree with Spinach

Zeudi: Butter Rolls with Poppy Seeds and Lemon Zest