Italian Pistachio Cookies
Italian pistachio cookies have soft, chewy centers, crackled powdered sugar tops and a nutty blend of pistachio and almond flours.
Servings: 24 cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Scoop Small
Ingredients
- 3½ Ounces almond flour
- 2 egg whites
- 3½ Ounces pistachio flour or very finely ground pistachios
- ½ Teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ Teaspoon pistachio extract
- 7 Ounces granulated white sugar
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- icing sugar (powdered sugar) as needed for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Line a heavy-duty baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or some parchment paper.
- Whisk the almond flour, pistachio flour, sugar and salt together until evenly combined. If you ground your own pistachios, make sure they're completely cool before mixing.
- Whisk the egg whites with the lemon juice in a mixing bowl or stand mixer using a whisk attachment until the mixture holds soft peaks.
- Next add the beaten egg whites and pistachio extract to your dry ingredients and stir until you achieve a soft, sticky dough.
- Dust your hands lightly with powdered sugar. Use a small cookie scoop to portion the dough, then roll it into 1-inch balls.
- Roll the dough balls in icing sugar and then arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving an inch of room between each cookie.
- Bake the pistachio almond cookies for 25 minutes or until the tops are cracked and bottoms are just slightly golden. It’s best to check at 20 minutes and every minute after that to make sure they don’t overcook.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer them onto wire racks to cool completely before serving.
Notes
Use weight measurements for the nut flours: I prefer weighing almond and pistachio flour for these cookies because how tightly nut flour settles into a measuring cup can make a noticeable difference in the dough.
Watch homemade pistachio flour carefully: Pulse the pistachios rather than running the food processor continuously. Stop once they're finely ground so they don't start releasing too much oil.
Whip to soft peaks: The egg whites should hold a soft peak that curls over rather than standing stiffly upright.
Expect sticky dough: This isn't meant to feel like regular cookie dough. Powdered sugar on your hands makes it much easier to roll.
Be generous with the powdered sugar: A good coating gives you a much more noticeable crackled finish once the cookies spread.
Check at 20 minutes: You're looking for cracked tops and lightly golden bottoms rather than deeply browned cookies.
Watch homemade pistachio flour carefully: Pulse the pistachios rather than running the food processor continuously. Stop once they're finely ground so they don't start releasing too much oil.
Whip to soft peaks: The egg whites should hold a soft peak that curls over rather than standing stiffly upright.
Expect sticky dough: This isn't meant to feel like regular cookie dough. Powdered sugar on your hands makes it much easier to roll.
Be generous with the powdered sugar: A good coating gives you a much more noticeable crackled finish once the cookies spread.
Check at 20 minutes: You're looking for cracked tops and lightly golden bottoms rather than deeply browned cookies.
Nutrition
Calories: 57kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 28mg | Potassium: 4mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 0.01IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.2mg
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