Tender and melt-in-the-mouth, these Lemon Pistachio Cookies are a mix of sweet and savory and absolutely delicious. Made with the idea of a butter cookie in mind, these cookies have a bit of texture from the coarse pistachio crumb, a bit of herbal notes from the thyme mixed throughout, and are rolled in sugar for an extra kick of sweetness. Not to mention, the brightness of the lemon stands out in the best possible way.
Sometimes, I love a cookie that you don’t need to roll out on the counter, cut, scoop, or fuss too much with before baking. These Lemon Pistachio cookies are hand rolled into balls, tossed in sugar, and then flattened slightly before being tossed into the oven to bake. The dough comes together quickly–I spend more time blitzing up the pistachios–and can be in the fridge to chill and rest in no time.
Lemon and pistachio is a classic combo. Add a bit of time and you get an extra savory note to complement the brightness of the citrus and the nutty earthiness of the pistachio. I didn’t want the thyme to be a stand-out flavor, just something that adds a bit of character to these cookies and it does the job that’s asked of it. You can tell there’s something a bit savory in every bite, making these cookies the perfect treat when you want something lemony that isn’t too sweet.
To make sure these aren’t too savory though, I rolled them in regular old white sugar before baking. They spread a little bit in the oven to give a bit of a firm exterior while the middle is just melt-in-your-mouth tender thanks to the combination of powdered sugar and corn starch.
These can be made in a mixer, with an electric mixer, or even by hand if you have the arm power to beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Because you’re using softened butter and powdered sugar, it shouldn’t be too difficult of a task, and you’ll have a base that looks like a buttercream frosting before you mix everything else in. These go perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee–hot or iced.
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Lemon Pistachio Cookies
Bright and nutty, these Lemon Pistachio Cookies will melt in your mouth. With roasted, salted pistachios, plenty of lemon zest, and a bit of thyme, these cookies are lightly sweet with a hint of savoriness. Rolled in sugar before baking, they are simple, but the batch will be gone before you know it.
Yields: 15-16 cookies
Using a food processor, grind the pistachios and the thyme until you have small crumbs. It won't be quite flour-like, but you'll have small coarse bits of pistachio to incorporate into the cookie dough. You don't want large chunks of pistachio.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and cornstarch. Whisk in the ground pistachio and thyme. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer*, cream together the softened butter, powdered sugar, and lemon zest on medium high until light and fluffy. It'll look like you're making a small batch of frosting. Add in the vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon juice; mix until combined.
Add in half of the flour/corn starch/pistachio mix. Mix on low until the flour is fully incorporated. Add in the the second half of the dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes together.
Form the dough into a ball and flatten into a disc on a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 30-60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Put 60 grams of granulated sugar into a bowl or a plate. Roll the dough into 35 gram balls (about 1 1/2 Tbsp in size) and roll through the sugar to completely coat the cookie dough. Place on the tray and flatten slightly so that the cookie dough is about 1 1/2" wide, making sure to leave some space between each cookie for spreading.
Bake on the center rack for 12-14 minutes, until the bottoms are a light golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
*You can also use a wooden spoon to beat the butter and sugar together by hand if you don't have an electric mixing option.
