Pistachio–Cherry Icebox Cookies
Pastry chef/teacher Cindy Salvato developed these pistachio-cherry icebox cookies for Yankee in 2004, and they remain a favorite, both for their exceptional flavor and for their festive red-and-green color scheme. Find more recipes for “Cookies Through the Decades.”
Pastry chef/teacher Cindy Salvato developed these pistachio-cherry icebox cookies for Yankee in 2004, and they remain a favorite, both for their exceptional flavor and for their festive red-and-green color scheme.
Find more recipes for “Cookies Through the Decades.”
Yield:
about 4 dozen cookiesIngredients
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, softened, plus more for pan
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg, separated
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
1 8-ounce container candied red cherries, roughly chopped
1/3 cup coarse or sanding sugar
Instructions
Using a standing or hand-held mixer, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Beat the egg yolk in; mix well. Add the flour and pistachios; blend on low speed until just combined. With a strong spoon or your hands, mix the cherries in. Divide the dough in half, and roll each piece into a log about 12 inches long. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
Preheat your oven to 350° and set a rack to the middle position. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or grease lightly with butter). Pour the coarse sugar onto a piece of waxed paper or aluminum foil.
Brush the egg white lightly over the surface of the log; press and roll the log into the sugar. Using a sharp knife, slice the log into 1/2-inch rounds; transfer to the cookie sheet and bake 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Cool completely, and store in an airtight container or freeze.
Amy Traverso
Food Editor Amy Traverso oversees the Yankee Magazine Food department and contributes to NewEngland.com. Amy's book, The Apple Lover's Cookbook (W.W. Norton), won an International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) cookbook award for the category American.
More by Amy Traverso