Pistachio Lime Cookies

Limes do it in a cookie.

Pistachio's are so underrated. There's pecan pie, the silly roasted chestnuts cliché, almond-loving marzipan (no complaints there), a gazillion brownie recipes calling for walnuts, and the biggest teachers pet of them all, peanut...everything. Where's the pistachio love? Although, I've got to give kudos to Ben and Jerry for being one of the few people to recognize the fabulousness of pistachios. Their pistachio ice cream is both mind-blowing and life altering...if you can find it. Yes, Cherry Garcia, we all love you, but please spare some room on that shelf for other flavours.

In this recipe, the pistachio sheds it's wallflower persona and really lets it's shell down. First you have the tart lime burst, followed by the sweetly soft texture of a sugar cookie, capping everything off and wrapping it up in a delicious bundle of flavours, is the subtle saltiness of the potent pistachio. And boy does is shine. So push those peanut butter cookies aside (at least for a day) and show the reticent nuts that they too are appreciated. Macadamia's, you're on deck.

Pistachio Lime Cookies (adapted from Rachael Ray)


ingredients
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/4 cup of lime zest (about 3-4 limes)
2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 + 1/4 teaspoons of baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup (that's 2 sticks) of unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes, chilled
about 3 ounces shelled pistachios
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 cup fresh lime juice

method
In a food processor work bowl, combine the sugar and lime zest. Process until sugar and zest are well mixed, about 20 seconds. Scrape into a large mixing bowl ( if you have one, use the bowl of your stand mixer.) Reserve about 1/4 cup of lime sugar in a separate bowl for later use.
Still using the food processor, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Pulse briefly to mix. Add cold cubes of butter, flour mixture and about 1 ounce of the pistachios. Process with short pulses until mixture resembles cornmeal and no large lumps of butter remain (about 10 seconds.) Add the remaining pistachios and pulse briefly (about 5 more seconds.)
Empty the dough into the sugar and lime mixture and, using a large spatula or wooden spoon, mix together just until combined. Set the bowl aside.

In a medium bowl, mix egg yolks,vanilla extract, almond extract, and lime juice together. Set aside.
Place the sugar-infused dough into the bowl of a stand mixer, or into any bowl you'll be using with an electric mixer. On low speed, slowly add egg/lime juice mixture and mix until well combined and dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl (about 15 to 30 seconds.)
Scrape the dough into a large bowl and refrigerate until cold, but not solid, about 30 minutes.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator.
Use about 2 well-rounded Tablespoons per cookies. Roll into a smooth ball dip the tops into the reserved lime sugar. Use the bottom of a water glass to press the cookies flat, about 1/4-inch thick. [Note: Sugar coat the bottom of the glass so the dough won't stick to it.]
Bake the cookies until slightly browned, about 15 minutes [Note: Mine were ready after about 8 minutes.] Remove the parchment paper with the cookies from the tray to a cooling rack and cool.

Makes about 20 cookies.