Hello, flakey, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread. But not just any shortbread. This pistachio shortbread is better than any store-bought shortbread and is sure to make your home smell better than any bakery. I cannot describe to you how amazing this recipe is. I was inspired to make this dish after visiting London. The Whole Foods grocery store had these delectable pistachio shortbread cookies that we specifically bought and ate twice a day. They were just so good. Then I created this recipe, and our lives changed.
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Is pistachio shortbread complicated to make?
This recipe isn’t difficult to make, but it requires one key ingredient: raw, unsalted, unroasted pistachios. That specific type of pistachios is essential to making the pistachio paste that is the star of the show in this recipe. Check out my detailed blog post explaining how to use pistachio paste here. Pistachio paste only requires two ingredients: pistachios and water. It is a simple recipe, only takes a few minutes, and stores well for future use. You only need a food process or a blender to make that magic happen.
The only reason why we need raw, unsalted, unroasted pistachios is that if our pistachios have skin on them (roasted), we are left with a dark brown paste. While still delicious, it is not the vibrant, light green we aspire to. Using roasted pistachios would give the shortbread a more salty and savory nutty flavor. Not exactly what we are going for, but definitely up for experimentation.
One of the reasons I adore this pistachio shortbread is because you can ACTUALLY taste the pistachio flavor. You know, in pistachio ice cream or pistachio macarons, oftentimes it just tastes like almond-flavored and green-dyed ice cream or macarons? Well, this recipe allows for the pistachio flavor and almond flavor to marry and produce the most wonderful combination on this side of the earth.
What ingredients do I need to make pistachio shortbread?
In general, traditional shortbread consists of butter, sugar, and flour. This recipe is based on those same ingredients, but instead of white granulated sugar, we use powdered sugar to provide a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Below is the total ingredient list.
- Softened, salted butter
- Powdered sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Pistachio paste
- Almond extract
- Vanilla extract
- Granulated sugar (optional: for topping)
For only using 7 ingredients, this recipe is quick to throw together. I recommend making the pistachio paste in advance and storing it in the fridge to make this shortbread an easier process. I’ve never had this shortbread around for more than a day at my house (my family devours it immediately), but I would imagine this would store on the countertop for about 5-7 days.
Pistachio Shortbread
Equipment
- electric hand mixer or a stand mixer!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup pistachio paste
- 2 sticks softened butter I use salted, but unsalted will work too!
- ¾ cup powdered sugar a heaping ¾ cup
- 2 cups plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp granulated sugar optional*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and/or line an 8×8 inch glass baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter with a hand mixer for about 1 minute.
- Next, beat the pistachio paste into the butter until fully combined and smooth.
- Add the extracts and powdered sugar.
- Next, slowly beat in the flour. Add one cup at a time, followed by the additional 2 tbsp of flour. The dough should be thick and look like large dough crumbs.
- Press the shortbread into the greased or lined baking pan. Smooth the top before poking holes in the top with a fork. This helps the shortbread keep a flat surface during baking.
- Sprinkle the granulated sugar on top of the shortbread. Bake for 25 minutes or until the edges begin to turn a golden brown.
Notes
Did you love this recipe as much as I did? How did the pistachio paste work for you? Let me know in the comments below!
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