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Traditional Italian Pistachio Cookies

This recipe for Italian Pistachio Cookies uses only 5 ingredients. The cookies are soft and share the tastes of pistachio and lemon. They are great for a quick cookie recipe any time of the year, and the green color also makes them a great fit for Christmas dessert!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 21 cookies
Calories: 139 kcal
Course: Dessert , Baked Goods
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 200 g 1 ⅔ cup shelled, unroasted, unsalted pistachios (shelled means no shells on the pistachios!)
  • 175 g 1 ¾ cup almond flour
  • 175 g 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar plus extra for coating the outside of the cookies
  • 2 eggs
  • zest of one lemon
  • extra powdered sugar for coating

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Use a spice grinder or food processor to grind the pistachios into a fine flour.
  3. In a bowl, combine the pistachio flour with the almond flour. Add sugar, eggs, and lemon zest. Mix to combine.
  4. Break cookie dough into pieces a little bigger than a walnut shell. Coat hands in powdered sugar and rub on the outside of the cookie dough ball until the dough is covered in powdered sugar.
  5. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving indents with your fingers on the dough.
  6. Bake for about 15 minutes. The dough should still be soft, like marzipan. Bake for 18-22 minutes for a crunchier cookie.

Notes

  • Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only. 
  •  
  • You can buy these in bulk in the health section of your grocery store. Make sure they are shelled (for ease) and unsalted (for taste). Do not roast your pistachios.
  • Almond flour can be found in your grocery store, typically with the rest of the organic flours. I use Bob’s Red Mills. Make sure you buy super-fine flour as opposed to coarse.
  • The easiest way to zest a lemon (in my opinion) is to run it across the medium setting on a cheese grater. You can also use a lemon zester if you are lucky enough to have one (I am not).
  • When processing the pistachios into flour, make sure to use a high powered grinder. I would recommend a food processor. 
  • You may need to open the food processor, stir the pistachios, and continue processing. Make sure that the flour is very fine and that there are no hard pistachios left in the flour. You can even run the flour through a sieve to ensure you’ve gotten all of the hard pieces out. 
  • The cookies are meant to be softer cookies. However, if you want them to be a bit crunchier, like normal Italian cookies, feel free to bake them for about 20-22 minutes instead of the recommended 15. 
  • If you want a less strong lemon flavor, use about ½ of the lemon zest suggested.
  • Pistachios: You can buy these in bulk in the health section of your grocery store. Make sure they are shelled (for ease) and unsalted (for taste). Do not roast your pistachios.
  • Almond Flour: Almond flour can be found in your grocery store, typically with the rest of the organic flours. I use Bob’s Red Mills. Make sure you buy super-fine flour as opposed to coarse.
  • Lemon Zest: The easiest way to zest a lemon (in my opinion) is to run it across the medium setting on a cheese grater. You can also use a lemon zester if you are lucky enough to have one (I am not).
  • When processing the pistachios into flour, make sure to use a high powered grinder. I would recommend a food processor. 
  • You may need to open the food processor, stir the pistachios, and continue processing. Make sure that the flour is very fine and that there are no hard pistachios left in the flour. You can even run the flour through a sieve to ensure you’ve gotten all of the hard pieces out. 
  • The cookies are meant to be softer cookies. However, if you want them to be a bit crunchier, like normal Italian cookies, feel free to bake them for about 20-22 minutes instead of the recommended 15. 
  • If you want a less strong lemon flavor, use about ½ of the lemon zest suggested.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1cookie Calories 139kcal (7%) Carbohydrates 13g (4%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 2g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 16mg (5%) Sodium 7mg (0%) Potassium 102mg (3%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 9g (18%) Vitamin A 47IU (1%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 30mg (3%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 21cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 139

% Daily Value*

Serving 1cookie
Calories 139kcal 7%
Carbohydrates 13g 4%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 16mg 5%
Sodium 7mg 0%
Potassium 102mg 2%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 9g 18%
Vitamin A 47IU 1%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 30mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.