Salted Pistachio & Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

September 29, 2012

pistachio & orange chocolate chip cookies | une gamine dans la cuisine

The only window in my tiny kitchen faces the north. It offers a cold, almost industrial, light. I'm in love with this foreign, brooding visitor. And when I allow myself to succumb to Yo-Yo Ma's cello, which often plays in the background this time of year, it's easy to imagine having this view from that aloof existential northern window.

It took a few years, but I've finally trained my camera to appreciate this icy ambiance, too.


I really do hope that you're not getting tired of chocolate chip cookie recipes, because I'm not going to stop making them any time soon; but I promise to keep things mercurial .

Growing up, I wasn't allowed to have sweets very often. Cookies, fresh and warm from the oven, were reserved for perfect grades or a thoroughly-cleaned bedroom...or as an incentive to leave my older sister alone when she had friends over (even though they were so much nicer to me).

Chocolate chip cookies will always make me feel like I've accomplished something. And they will always make me swing my left leg back and forth as I'm chewing.


I love discovering new ways to spruce up chocolate chip cookies. For this recipe, I rubbed orange zest into the sugar and tossed in some salty pistachios. There results were sensational!

The orange flavour is subtle, but definitely makes its presence known. Even though I'm not a big chocolate fan, sometimes I wish that I had named my site Citron et Chocolat...such glamorous pair. As for pistachios, they lend a salty, piney undertone that ties in perfectly with the citrus and dark chocolate. (That little pop of green from the looks beautiful too!) The cookies have a soft citrus/woodsy vibe. Perfect for autumn and chilly beauty pouring in from the north.

And yes, they are chewy.

pistachio & orange chocolate chip cookies | une gamine dans la cuisine

Salted Pistachio & Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes about 25-30 cookies

for the cookies
3/4 cup granulated sugar
zest from 1 medium-size orange
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (that's 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar (light or dark)
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips (I used Hershey's Dark)
1 cup salted pistachios, shelled (if you prefer to have smaller bits in the cookies, you can chop them. I left mine whole.)
Fleur de sel (optional)

method
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the granulated sugar and orange zest. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar until it's moistened and aromatic; Set aside for a few minutes to marinate.

In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon; Set aside.

Add the butter and brown sugar to the orange/sugar mixture. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition. Scape down the sides of the bowl again. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and pistachios and, using a large rubber spatula, fold them into the cookie dough until evenly dispersed. 

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about 3 hours (or overnight). :(

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

For each cookie, scoop out rounded Tablespoonfuls of dough and roll into a ball. Gently press down on the balls to create a flat surface (don't press them so much that they become thin). Place the cookies on prepared sheets, leaving about 1 1/2-inches of space between each one. If using, sprinkle the cookies with a little bit of fleur de sel.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottom edges look like they are just set. They will still look pale, and maybe even a little bit raw in the middle, but they will firm up beautifully once they have cooled off. {Note: Mine were perfect after 8 minutes.} Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the sheets for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Devour, smile, B happy

adapted from Ezra Pound Cake

27 comments:

  1. Those are some perfect looking cookies, please don't stop with them! And pistachios, they are one of the current loves of my life.

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  2. Oh Valerie!!! These look incredible!!! I seriously want to bake them this very minute…but I'm so afraid I would eat them all myself! Happy Saturday!

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  3. A fantastic and festive flavor combination! Those cookies must be divine.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  4. Gorgeous cookies, I love the pistachios and sea salt!! Perfect for the weekend :).

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  5. These cookie look incredible - what a great mix of flavors! Orange and chocolate always complement each other perfectly. And no, you can't ever post too many chocolate chip cookie recipes.

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  6. It is kinder than southern exposure in the kitchen:-) You have mastered it for certain..Oh these look so good too..I do want to try cookies in tart rings also:-)
    How fun to bake ..cook and photo--Julia's husband..saw that:-)

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  7. I don't think I could ever get tired of a chocolate chip cookie...Ever! I love how you spruced this cookie up and made it interesting by adding pistachios and orange. Sounds delish. Can't wait to try this lovely recipe. Cheers!

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  8. Another cc cookie recipe? You really ARE the queen of cc cookies! Love this combo too...pistachios are my favorite nut and orange and chocolate are naturals together. Leave it to you to combine them all!

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  9. I love the different combinations you come up with. Pistachio nuts are welcome anytime in my household - my favourite nut.

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  10. These look so incredibly delicious! What a combo.

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  11. I'm not tired of them, especially when you keep mixing things up with things like salted pistachios and orange! What a fabulous twist. LOVE!!

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  12. Pistachios are my husband favorite, he would love these cookies!

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  13. Love that lighting! Great photos and a wonderful combination of flavours!

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  14. What a very nice flavor combination to spruce up a classic chocolate chip cookie. These are perfect!

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  15. I love orange with chocolate, and I've got pistachios waiting to be made into something.

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  16. i'm in love with these, i need to try them soon!

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  17. Such delicious and interesting flavors together in your perfect cookies. Just love them:)

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  18. I'm sure you would also be perfectly lovely photographed on an old tire :) I love this combo, I never would have thought of the orange in there! Pinning as a must-try :)

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  19. What a great combination! Those sound delicious...and look perfect.

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  20. Oooh, these are quite the CCC! I've been so sick lately - can't smell / taste / enjoy anything - so a batch of these might just help cheer me up! LOL :)

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  21. Valerie - So loving this cookie! The orange and pistachio are such wonderful flavors together. I can imagine how your house smelled when these came out of the oven!!!

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  22. I would be very happy to bake a batch of these CCC and my husband would go nuts over the pistachio nuts!
    Keep the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes coming;-)

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  23. Valerie, those cookies are delicious! I love that taste of salted pistachios, and a pinch of Fleur de Sel makes it even more desirable.. :)

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  24. Amazing cookie combo! If you deliver, I'd like a dozen, please :)

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  25. lovely! i love me a chewy cookie.
    personally, i don't mind all the chocolate chip cookie recipes, i'm finicky and i'm always down with trying a new technique or ingredient.

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  26. mmmm...sounds like a great idea for chocolate chip cookies, love the flavor combo.

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  27. These cookies look amazing, what an interesting flavor combination. I can't believe you took this in low light. My house isn't lit too well either, and I'm just not the photographic type, so my pictures usually end up looking quite bad.

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Thanks for visiting, and for taking the time to read through my ramblings!
If you have a recipe comment or question, I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Baking!
♥ Valerie

 

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