Italian Pistachio Cookies

5 from 1 vote

These are soft and chewy Italian pistachio cookies made with a pistachio paste dough dipped into chopped pistachios. We developed these to be similar to a pignoli cookie, but instead of pine nuts and almond paste, it's all pistachio!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: cookies

Calories: 185kcal

Author: Vincent DelGiudice

Cost: $10

Equipment

1 large bowl
1 standing mixer
1 food processor
1 cooling rack

Ingredients

10 oz raw pistachio kernels
1.5 tablespoon simple syrup
⅔ cup sugar
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

In a food processor, blend 7 oz of pistachios until chopped finely. Add in the simple syrup and process until well combined. Then add ⅓ cup of sugar and pulse until just combined. Add another ⅓ cup of sugar and pulse until just combined.
In a standing mixer with a whisk attachment, add 2 egg whites and whisk on high until the egg whites have stiff peaks.
Add the pistachio mixture and salt to the egg whites. Use a spatula to fold in the mixture until combined. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Chop the remaining 3 oz of pistachios.
Preheat the oven to 325℉. Roll the dough into 1.5 tablespoon balls. Roll the dough balls into the chopped pistachios. Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 14-15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking tray and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Video

Notes

When processing the sugar with the pistachio paste, pulse it until it is a wet sand texture. I compare it to the kinetic sand my kids have.
The dough is really sticky, but once you roll it in the chopped pistachios, it's easier to handle.
Don't bake until browned. If you're looking for the cookies to be browned, you're going to overcook them.
Let the Italian pistachio cookies rest on the tray for at least 5 minutes so they don't fall apart when you transfer them to the cooling rack.

Nutrition