These buttery shortbreads crumble delicately at first bite, releasing the warm, nutty perfume of pistachios. Their pale green flecks hint at richness within, while a dip in dark chocolate or a scatter of crushed nuts turns each biscuit into a little work of art — simple, elegant, irresistible.
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Pistachio Shortbread
Crisp pistachio shortbread cookies with buttery flavour and nutty crunch. Easy slice-and-bake biscuits ideal for teatime or gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
- 225 g or 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 100 g or ½ cup granulated sugar
- 5 ml or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250 g or 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 100 g or 1 cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped (plus extra for garnish if desired)
Instructions
Cream the butter and sugar
- In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients
- Sift flour and salt together. Add gradually to the butter mixture, mixing just until a dough forms.
- Fold in the chopped pistachios.
Shape the dough
- Turn out onto parchment. Shape into a log about 5 cm or 2 inches in diameter.
- Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
Slice, bake and serve
- Preheat oven to 160 °C or 325 °F.
- Slice chilled dough into 1 cm or ⅓-inch rounds and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. If desired, press a few extra pistachio bits onto the tops for garnish.
- Bake until edges are just beginning to turn golden (15–18 minutes).
- Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Store in an airtight tin once cooled.
Notes
- The dough can be made ahead and kept in the freezer; slice and bake from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes to baking time.
- For an elegant finish, half-dip baked cookies in dark chocolate and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.
