Here is the latest in Sweet Bean’s kitchen! Try our crispy pistachio shortbread cookies, layered together with a rich dark chocolate filling, drizzled with chocolate, and sprinkled with chopped pistachios to create these Pistachio Short Bread Cookies. As always, we would love to see and hear from you about how your own cookie creation.

Pistachio Shortbread Cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1.5 cups unsalted butter softened

• 1 cup sugar plus extra for sprinkling

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cups pistachios very finely chopped

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Filling

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened

• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• 3 tablespoons dark cocoa powder

• 2 tablespoons milk

• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Chocolate Drizzle

• 6 ounces dark chocolate

• 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (Crisco)

• 1/8 cup pistachios coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until combined. Then add the vanilla.

2. Next add the flour, pistachios, and salt to the mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.

3. Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

4. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough so that it is 1/4-inch thick. Cut out the cookies with a round cookie cutter or the top of a round glass. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool at room temperature.

5. To make the filling, in your mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. If necessary, you can add more milk for a smoother filling or more powdered sugar to stiffen it up.

6. Once the cookies are cool, fill a piping bag or a plastic baggie with the chocolate filling. Pipe onto half of the cookies. Then top with a second cookie and gently press until the filling spreads to the edges.

7. For the drizzle, melt the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwavable bowl (or in a double broiler). Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then transfer to a plastic bag. Snip off a tiny portion of one corner of the bag and drizzle the chocolate on top of the cookies. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios for a garnish.

Serving: 36 cookies/Nutrition: Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 402IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg