Gourmet Italian Pistachio Cookies That Are Easy To Bake

Italian Pistachio Cookies or as I also like to call them, Pistachio Macaroons are my favorite cookies! I always buy them at bakeries and they cost a small fortune. However, they are SO worth the money. Once I realized I could make them on my own, I was scared for my waistline!

I was excited to try this recipe, but apprehensive because I really wanted these Italian Pistachio Cookies to taste like my favorite bakery cookies, Mike’s Pastry. What if they weren’t even close to the same taste? I’d have to keep searching for that perfect recipe. However, to my absolute delight, these tasted the same, if not better! Woo hoo! So now I can make them whenever I want…gulp. Hopefully, I will have some restraint and make them sparingly.

Pistachio Macaroons

Pistachio Macaroons are another way to describe Italian Pistachio Cookies. Most commonly found in Italian bakeries, the great ones are like finding a unicorn – a rate feat. And when you find them, they aren’t cheap! That’s why it’s best to make these at home : )

Baking The Cookies

They are not difficult to make, but they are a bit more labor intensive than your average cookie. Nonetheless, they are worth the extra effort you put into making these cookies. The ingredients are not the same as your average cookie. No butter or egg yolks go into these, can you believe that? But don’t get too excited thinking these are healthy, they still have sugar so they aren’t quite diet-friendly.

Before I cook or bake, I preheat the oven and then take out all the ingredients so that I have everything I need in front of me (and that kills a little pre-heat time as well). The goal is to have the food prepared by the time the oven is ready to go. So when you are ready, you just pop the pan in. While you are waiting for the food to cook, that’s the perfect opportunity to clean up the mess. Ideally, by the time the food is ready, your kitchen has returned to normal. Ideally, anyway!

Ingredients

A big time saver with this Italian Pistachio Cookie recipe is having shelled pistachios. Pouring the pistachios directly from the bag into a measuring cup is much easier than de-shelling so many pistachios.

• 2 2/3 cups Pistachios Shelled
• 1 1/3 cup Almond Flour
• 1 cup Sugar
• 3 tsp Honey
• 1 tsp Almond Extract
• 2 whole Lemons Zested
• 2 Egg White
• 2/3 cup Powdered Sugar

Instructions

Now that you have your ingredients ready to go, you are ready to make these yummy Italian Pistachio Cookies. Pulse the pistachios with half the granulated sugar. Then, pour that mixture into a large bowl. Next, add the remaining sugar, almond flour, almond extract and lemon zest and mix well. After that, add your egg whites and honey and stir well.

The dough will be like a wet-sand consistency, not your average cookie dough consistency. Take a small amount of the cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Then roll it in the powdered sugar, shake some off, and then put on the baking sheet. Keep the cookie balls approx. 2″ apart so they don’t overlap, when baking. Finally, flatten the cookie balls a little using a spoon. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool. And ENJOY these amazing cookies!

If you prefer the outline version of this recipe and can’t wait until you get to the bottom of this post, here you go:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a food processor, pulse pistachios with 1/2 the sugar until pistachios are coarsely ground, but not too fine.
• Transfer to large bowl and add remaining sugar, almond flour, almond extract, and lemon zest. Whisk to combine.
• Add egg white and honey. Mix well until the mixture holds it’s shape, when pressed together.
• Prepare baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
• Sift powdered sugar into a medium size bowl.
• Take a small amount of the cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Then roll it in the powdered sugar, shake some off, and then put on the baking sheet.
• Complete above step until all cookies are on the baking sheet(s) approx 2″ apart.
• Flatten cookie balls using a spoon.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes or until they are a light golden brown on the bottom.
• Allow to cool before serving.

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The good thing about these unbelievably yummy cookies is that everyone in my household loves them as much as me. So the good news is that I can’t eat an entire batch by myself. The bad news is that they don’t last long. Overall, these pistachio cookies are absolutely amazing. If you are looking a tasty cookie that is NOT nut-free, these are a definite must-try.

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