Pistachio Cookies

Cook Time 40 minutes plus cooling and chilling

Servings make approx. 20 cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

220g plain flour

100g unsalted butter, room temperature

100g caster sugar

90g almond meal

3 yolks, room temperature

Pinch salt

Seeds from ½ vanilla pod

Pistachio Praline

200g pistachios

70g sugar

Pinch salt

1 or 2 tsp vegetable oil (optional, just in case the praline is too dry)

½ vanilla pod

Decoration

Gold glitter pump

Utensils

2 round cookie cutters (4 and 5 cm)

A few straws

Piping bags

Rolling pin

Blender (for the praline)

Method

Preheat a fan-forced oven to 170-175°C.

In a stand mixer cream the sugar and butter. Add salt, vanilla and yolks and mix well until everything is combined. Add the almond flour and sifted plain flour. Wrap the dough and leave it in the fridge for at least 2 - 3 hours (or overnight).

Roll the dough (thickness 4-5 mm). Using the 5 cm cookie cutter cut the cookies. Using the 4 cm cookie cutter, emboss the cookie. Using the straws make the 5 little holes.

Bake them for 10 - 14 minutes or until golden.

Leave the cookies to cool down completely.

For the pistachio praline: Roast the pistachio for a few minutes (until you can smell them. Don’t burn them). In a saucepan add the sugar and a few tablespoons of water and make a quick caramel. Put the roasted pistachios, vanilla pod and salt on a silicon mat or baking paper. Pour the golden caramel on top of it. Leave it to cool down completely.

Once it’s at room temperature, break the caramel and add everything to a blender. Blend everything until you get a creamy texture. If it’s too dry, add a few teaspoons of vegetable oil. Move the praline into a piping bag.

To assemble, Put a generous amount of praline on a cookie and sandwich it with another one. Finally, add some gold glitter to decorate it.