The main star ingredient in these cookies is pistachio and we're using it two ways in the cookie: ground pistachios in the shortbread dough and pistachio cream for the centres. After the pistachio cookies have been stamped and baked, we're piping a ring of coffee cheesecake cream and filling the centres with a big dollop of the pistachio cream.
Makes 12cookies
Ingredients
Pistachio Shortbread
160g(2/3 cup and 2 tsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
90g(3/4 cup) powdered sugar
2tspvanilla extract
210g(1 3/3 cup) all-purpose flour
80g(1/2 cup) roasted pistachios
1/2tspsalt
Coffee Cheesecake Cream
125g(1/2 block) cream cheese, room temperature
55g(1/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
180g(1 1/2 cup) powdered sugar
1tspespresso powder
1tspvanilla extract
1/2tspsalt
Pistachio Cream
80g(1/4 cup) pistachio cream
Instructions
Pistachio Shortbread
Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together butter, powdered sugar and vanilla at medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
In a food processor, blitz pistachios until it becomes a fine flour.
Add flour, ground pistachios, and salt and mix on low speed until combined.
In between two sheets of parchment paper, roll out dough to ¼-inch in thickness. Lightly flour the cookie stamp/cutter and press. Transfer cut outs to prepared baking sheet, placing cookies 2 inches apart.
Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer for 10 minutes. Freezing cut out cookies before baking will help preserve the design and shape of the cookies.
Bake until the edges are lightly golden brown, about 12 – 14 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.
Coffee Cheesecake Cream
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth, about 1 - 2 minutes.
Add icing sugar, espresso powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Turn on mixer on low speed and mix until ingredients are combined. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until mixture is completely smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute.
Assembly
Turn over half of the cookies, they will be the bottom cookies.
Pipe a ring of cofffee crean on the bottom cookie. This will act as a barrier for the pistachio cream centers.
Take half a heaping tablespoon of pistachio and fill the centre. Sandwich the top cookie and press lightly. Repeat with remaining cookies until all cookies are filled.
Serve at room temperature or chilled (which is what I prefer!).