Pistachio Cream Cheese Cookies

I found this on a blog where it was listed as a Christmas cookie, but I decided that this contained perfectly normal ingredients and there was no need to wait until Christmas to make these. I also had some cream cheese left over from some of the frosting that I have made recently, so these were great. The original recipe called for walnuts, but they aren’t my favorite so I used pistachios instead.

These mix up quickly in the mixer, and the original recipe said to chill the dough for 10 minutes. This dough is incredibly sticky and there was no way that they would be ready to bake in just a few minutes in the refrigerator. I refrigerated the dough for a few hours and it really helped. The cookies do spread and get golden brown around the edges (since they contain so much butter/cream cheese). I flattened some of the cookies before baking and didn’t flatten other ones, but they came out of the oven looking the same.

This recipe makes a bit more than two dozen, so it isn’t the largest batch. The pistachios that I used were roasted and salted, which worked, but some might think these are too salty. With such a simple cookie, the flavors shine through clearly. You definitely taste the tang of the cream cheese and the salty flavor of the pistachios. 

Pistachio Cream Cheese Cookies

1 cup sugar

½ cup butter, room temperature

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup flour

½ cup pistachios, toasted and finely chopped

In a large mixer bowl, beat the sugar, butter, and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour and chopped pistachios. Do not over mix; the dough will be very sticky.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15-16 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Picture Perfect Meals