Pistachio Cookies with Chocolate and Strawberry

Dressed up with white and dark chocolate drizzles plus crushed dried strawberries, these pistachio cookies incorporate the classic trio of Neapolitan dessert flavors.  The cookies are delicious on their own, but if you’re in the mood for pistachio plus a little extra, consider adding the drizzle and the naturally bright and tangy bits of strawberry.   The melted chocolate helps the strawberries adhere and lend their vibrant color while keeping the ingredients natural.

If you’re looking for Valentine’s Day ideas, offer a plate of festive homemade cookies instead of traditional chocolates.  Cut them into hearts as seen here or pick another shape that speaks to you or your loved ones on this sweet occasion.  I pair them with heartfelt words of love on my favorite holiday and throughout the year.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup pistachios
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
⅓ cup white chocolate chips
¼ cup freeze-dried strawberries

This recipe yields about 18 cookies made with a 3 ¼-inch heart cookie cutter, but feel free to use a different size cutter or scale the recipe according to your needs.

Begin by making the cookie dough.  Combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

Grind the pistachios using a food processor and set aside.  A combination of fully ground and finely chopped nuts is preferable.

Cream softened butter with sugar until light and fluffy using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture in a few additions until combined.  Finally add the ground pistachios.  

Divide the dough into two flattened disks, wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Once the cookie dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove one disk and allow it to soften until it is capable of being rolled without breaking. Roll out on a lightly floured surface or between pieces of parchment to ¼-inch thickness. Cut into desired shape using cookie cutter.  Space about 1 inch apart on parchment-lined sheets.  

Bake in batches on middle rack of oven for about 9 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden but the tops remain light.  Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.  Combine remaining dough, chill, and re-roll as necessary.

How to Decorate the Cookies

For the dark chocolate drizzle, add the dark chocolate chips to a small, heat-proof bowl and microwave for 30 seconds at half-power.  Stir and heat again, reducing the length of time as the chocolate starts to melt.  Once the chocolate starts to melt, you can add a very tiny bit of vegetable oil to help it liquify, but it’s not essential.  Continue to microwave for small increments then stir until fully melted.  Use a spoon to drizzle chocolate on cookies.

Repeat process with white chocolate chips, keeping in mind that white chocolate melts more quickly.

Crush freeze-dried strawberries and sprinkle over melted chocolate.  Let cookies sit until chocolate hardens.