Chocolate Dipped Pistachio Shortbread

Pistachios have always intrigued me, perhaps because of their color. With rust-colored, purplish skins and a bright green, almost yellow shade, they are as beautiful as they are tasty.
The bright flecks of green that they add to these cookies are one of the things I love about this recipe. With the addition of these beautiful nuts, this shortbread cookie becomes a crumbly, buttery, slightly salty treat with hints of vanilla and pistachio. A quick dunk in bittersweet chocolate takes them over the top, making them perfect for a simple treat with tea or coffee, and whether you’re looking for some cookies to brighten the holidays or a little something to keep handy for guests, these cookies are a classic that anyone should have in their repertoire.

Yield: around 20 cookies

Why I love this recipe: using salted pistachios adds a salty element to the sweet, simple vanilla scented shortbread cookies and along with coarse sea salt, provides wonderfully crunchy texture. Bittersweet chocolate coating turns these classic cookies into an above-average treat.

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1/2 cup salted pistachios, finely chopped 
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until smooth.
4. Add 1/2 cup pistachios and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture until just combined.
5. Transfer dough to work surface. Divide dough in half. Form each dough half into a log. Wrap logs in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours.Slice logs into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, rolling log after every few slices to retain round shape.
6. Place rounds on ungreased baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake shortbread until barely golden, about 18 minutes. Cool shortbread on baking sheets.
7. Put chopped chocolate in a double boiler set over barely-simmering water. Stir chocolate until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
8. Dip the end of each cookie in the melted chocolate about 1 inch deep. Let excess chocolate drip back into bowl; repeat with the rest of the cookies. Let stand until chocolate has hardened, at least one hour. Cookies will keep in airtight container up to 1 week.