Finished dish photo of Pistachio Butter Cookies

Pistachio Butter Cookies

Just one extra step, and the cookies have an exceptional taste---a butter cookie I really love, with a crispy and tender texture. Compared to ordinary cookies, its flavor is richer and more fragrant—thanks to one additional step in its preparation. Reference yield: 30 pieces Baking: Middle rack of the oven, 180°C (up and down heating), about 15 minutes.

Ingredients

Pistachio25g
Cake Flour110g
Butter75g
Egg20g
Granulated Sugar20g
Powdered Sugar25g

Steps

1

Weigh the butter, cut it into small pieces, and place it in a small saucepan (or other utensils suitable for heating). Heat it over low heat until the butter melts, boils, and gradually turns brown. Immediately turn off the heat.

undefined 1
Click to enlarge
2

Pour the browned butter into a large bowl. After cooling, place it in the fridge to chill until the butter solidifies again to a soft state (similar to the softened butter we usually use).

undefined 2
Click to enlarge
3

Add granulated sugar and powdered sugar to the softened browned butter. Mix well, then use a whisk to whip it slightly (it doesn’t need to be whipped for too long).

undefined 3
Click to enlarge
4

Add the egg to the whipped browned butter and whisk again until the egg and butter are fully combined.

undefined 4
Click to enlarge
5

Sift the cake flour into the whipped browned butter.

undefined 5
Click to enlarge
6

Mix it evenly using a spatula.

undefined 6
Click to enlarge
7

Mix until there is no dry flour visible. The dough for these cookies tends to be relatively dry and not very moist.

undefined 7
Click to enlarge
8

Chop the pistachio nuts and add them to the mixed dough.

undefined 8
Click to enlarge
9

Use your hands to mix the nuts into the dough and shape it into a ball.

undefined 9
Click to enlarge
10

Place the dough on a board and shape it into a long rectangular log as shown in the picture. Then place it in the freezer for half an hour to an hour, until fully hardened.

undefined 10
Click to enlarge
11

Take the hardened dough out and cut it into slices about 0.3CM thick.

undefined 11
Click to enlarge
12

Place the sliced cookies on a baking tray, leaving some space between each piece. Put the tray into a preheated oven at 180°C and bake for about 15 minutes until the surface turns golden brown.

undefined 12
Click to enlarge

Cooking Tips

1. Similar to the unique flavor that caramel develops when sugar is browned, browning butter creates a distinctive taste different from ordinary butter. For those who are used to regular butter cookies, this variation might be more appealing. 2. Browning the butter is a crucial step. Use low heat to gradually deepen the butter’s color when browning. Once it turns brown, remove it from the heat immediately to prevent it from turning black or burning. Note that the residual heat can continue to cook the butter even after it's off the heat, so you should stop heating slightly earlier than your desired color outcome (or place the pot in cold water immediately to halt the process once the desired color is achieved).