Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread Cookies

 

When you're looking for "fancy" cookie recipes, you don't necessarily spend a lot of time in the "bar cookie" realm. But the Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread Cookies came highly recommended.

Jill made them for a work event and said they were fairly quick and easy, yet had elements of fancy. She found it on one of her favorite baking blogs, Sally's Baking Addiction. Those two "recommendations" were enough for me to add the wedge-shaped cookies to my cookie trays for the August bridal shower.

The Chocolate Pistachio Cookies are on the right side of the tray. (Sorry for the bad church basement lighting.)

 

The simple recipe is "fancified" with melted chocolate, finely-chopped pistachios and a sprinkle of sea salt. That simple dash of salt is enough to tickle taste buds in a sea of sweet choices. Not that the cookies aren't sweet. They are. The salt just adds another dimension, along with the salted pistachios.

Give them a try. And let me know what you think!

  Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread Cookies 

Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

 

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. salt

2 1/4 cups flour

2/3 cup finely-chopped pistachios

Topping

1/3 cup finely-chopped pistachios

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

Sea salt to sprinkle

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang around the sides to easily lift shortbread out. Set aside.

 

In mixer bowl, beat the butter on high speed until completely smooth. Add sugars and beat until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add vanilla, salt and flour and beat on low speed, gradually increasing to high speed as the mixture combines. Add 2/3 cup of finely-chopped pistachios. Dough will be crumbly.

Press 1/2 of the dough into each of the prepared cake pans, pushing it down well. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top and around the edges.

Remove from the oven; cool for 10 minutes. Use parchment paper to carefully remove shortbread from the pan. While the shortbread is still warm (not hot), cut each pan into 12 wedges. Allow to cool completely.

Topping:

Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stopping and stirring after each time, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Dip the shortbread ends into chocolate and sprinkle with 1/3 cup chopped pistachios and sea salt. Allow chocolate to completely set before storing.