As we get dangerously close to the week of Christmas, you’re probably one of two types of people. The first is someone who has had their Christmas plans wrapped with a shiny bow since November 1, all the way down to every type of cookie you’re baking. The second is someone who’s still in denial that it’s even December, horrendously behind on gift shopping, and spinning out about your Christmas plans.
I tend to lean toward the latter…but, if there’s one thing that hasn’t escaped my thoughts in the last few weeks is what Christmas cookies I’ll be baking this year. My typical rule of thumb is that you can’t have too many cookies. If you don’t eat them all yourself, they make wonderful party favors, gifts for colleagues and neighbors, and if you throw them in a tin, a suitable last-minute gift for under the tree.
My other habit with making Christmas cookies, is always going for a mix of classics and fresh new recipes. There are some cookies I absolutely cannot go without–peanut butter blossoms, frosted sugar cookies, and 7-layer cookies are yearly staples in my household. Then there are the family faves like lemon ricotta cookies and Ukrainian honey cookies. And then there is the wild card…
enter: lemon pistachio butter cookies
These cookies don’t really fit on any list of traditional Christmas cookies, and they’re not even all that Christmas-y if you think about it. But they’re so delicious, pretty as a present, and they’re so incredibly quick and easy, you’ll need to buy some new cookies tins for all the batches you’ll be making. Honestly, if you only have time to make one type of cookie this year, these butter cookies would be a great contestant.
Every bite of these cookies is so soft, buttery, and delicious. It’s really hard to eat only one. I love the combination of citrus and nuttiness to fill out the flavor profile, and the super light icing on top gives it that extra zing. The sprinkled pistachios on top are so yummy and make these cookies look so pretty on the platter.
easy as 1,2,3...
As I mentioned before, these cookies are so easy. It’ll take you just around 30 minutes as long as you have all the ingredients ready to go.
Once you’re ready to bake, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until the mixture is light in fluffy. You can use a stand or a hand mixer, but either way, this should only take you about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, an egg yolk, and vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Complete the batter, by mixing the dry ingredients with the wet, and you’re ready to bake!
Then you’ll just scoop out about 10-12 even spoonfuls of the dough, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper so they don’t stick. And you don’t have to do this step, but I wanted to give them something extra special by shaping the dough into half moons before baking. If you have a holiday-shaped cookie cutter you can try that as well, or just opt for a circular shape.
And then you bake! While the cookies are in the oven, make the icing by simply whisking together lemon juice and powdered sugar. I like mine to be super thin, like a glaze, but you can thicken it up by adding more sugar and less juice.
I hope you enjoy these cookies! Whether they end up in your yearly repertoire or are just a wild card experiment this Christmas, I hope you have a blast and let me know what you think in the comments below.
⟶ the recipe
lemon pistachio butter cookies
ingredients
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup sugar
3 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 large egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
6 teaspoons lemon juice
¼ cup roasted pistachios, finely chopped
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
15 minutes
Total time
30 minutes
Makes 10-12 cookies
instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, egg yolk, and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
Combine the wet mixture with the dry ingredients, and mix until well-combined.
Scoop out 10-12 spoonfuls of the dough and shape into half moons on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.
Meanwhile, whisk together lemon juice and confectioner’s sugar in a small bowl. Add sugar to thicken the icing or water to thin it out.
Once cookies are done, allow them to cool on a wire rack. Once cooled completely, brush the icing over each cookie and sprinkle with pistachios.
⟶ recipe notes
- When sprinkling cookies with pistachios, make sure icing is still wet or they won’t stick
- To make sure the cookies don’t crumble, use a metal spatula when removing them from the parchment paper
⟶ store it
- Store cookies for up to one week in an airtight container
