Pistachio Honey Sugar Cookies by Megan of The White Whisk

Get ready to indulge in the most irresistible holiday cookie of the season! Megan from The White Whisk paid a visit to the Amoretti Test Kitchen to teach us all how to make these festive Pistachio Honey Sugar Cookies. The crisp sugar cookie is infused with vibrant pistachio flavor thanks to our Pistachio Industrial Compound and then topped off with a honey and Natural Pistachio Butter Artisan infused buttercream. This is a recipe you'll want to make time and time again. 

Ingredients

Pistachio Sugar Cookies

• 3 oz salted butter (still cold, but just soft enough to make small dent when pressing firmly on it) (6 tbsp)
• 1 oz cream cheese (cold) (2 tbsp)
• 5.2 oz granulated sugar (3/4 cups)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon Amoretti® Pistachio Industrial Compound
• 7.4 oz all purpose flour (1 3/4 cups)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 20 grams cornstarch 2 tbsp
• 1/2 cup chopped pistachios

Pistachio Honey Buttercream

• 6 oz butter
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tablespoon Amoretti® Natural Pistachio Butter Artisan Flavor
• 4-6 oz powdered sugar
• Salt to taste

Directions

Pistachio Sugar Cookies

1. If using the no chill method, preheat oven to 350° and line two baking pans with silicone mats (or parchment paper). If you plan on chilling the dough, preheat the oven and prep pans just before rolling out dough and cutting shapes.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. Beat the butter in a large sized bowl using an electric mixer until butter has begun to evenly spread around the sides. Add in cream cheese and mix just until combined. Scrape down the bowl, and repeat.
4. Add in granulated sugar, and mix until well combined scraping down the sides of the bowl and beater as you go. Do not continue mixing to make it light and fluffy.
5. Mix in the egg, and beat until incorporated. Add in Amoretti Pistachio Artisan and mix in as well, once again scraping the bowl to ensure even mixing.
6. With the mixer on a low speed, slowly add in the flour mixture, and allow dough to come together until no dry ingredient streaks are remaining. Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl and beater, and add in chopped pistachios. Beat for another several seconds on medium speed, and if needed, give the dough a few more stirs by hand with a spatula to evenly distribute the pistachios.
7. If chilling, press the dough into a 1 inch thick disk or square, and wrap in saran wrap. Place the dough in the fridge for two hours. If you are skipping the chilling step, move directly to step
8. Lightly flour your work surface, and roll out half of your dough out until it's 3/8 inch thick. Every several rolls or so, pick the dough up and swipe your hand across the back of it and the counter to check for adequate flour amounts to prevent sticking. Dip cookie cutter in flour every other cut to prevent sticking as well.
9. Cut out as many cookies as you can from your first roll out, and place them on to the prepared baking sheets with an inch or so of space in between. Squish together the remaining scraps.
10. Continue rolling the dough, cutting shapes, and squishing together scraps until no dough remains. (Try not to knead the dough together when working with the scraps, but instead squish it and pull the seams to the backside. The goal is to work the dough the least amount possible.)
11. For the most even bake, bake one tray at a time on the center rack for 10-15 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are no longer shiny, but instead are an eggshell/matte finish. Do not bake cookies to the point of browning because it will dry them out. (You can bake multiple trays at a time, but run the risk of cookies baking less evenly. If you choose to do multiples, make sure to rotate trays around halfway through.)

12. Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting. Store in an airtight container.

Pistachio Honey Buttercream

1. Beat butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until it has begun to spread around the sides of the bowl.
2. Add in the honey and Pistachio Amoretti Artisan and beat until smooth and light. Scrape down the bowl and mix for another minute.
3. With the mixer on a low speed, slowly add in the powdered sugar and beat until combined and smooth.
4. Salt to taste, and add in food coloring if desired.
5. Using a piping bag fitted with your piping tip of choice, decorate cookies and finish with sprinkles.