Trust me when I say that making these cookies is the best decision you will make all month. They’re golden and crisp at the edges, soft and chewy in the centre, and packed with rich flavour. They’re also bursting with chunks of vibrant pistachio and creamy white chocolate. Swoon!
The secret to making rich and flavourful cookies
So whats the secret to achieving a golden and rich cookie flavour?
Browning your butter.
Browned butter, also known as beurre noisette, is butter that has been heated until the milk solids turn brown. This gives it a nutty and toasty flavour, which is delectable in baked goods, including these pistachio white chocolate cookies!
To make brown butter, melt unsalted butter over medium heat and let it simmer until it turns golden brown, being careful not to burn it. For a more thorough guide on how to make browned butter, check out this handy guide from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
And browned butter isn’t the only secret to this recipe. We’re also going to:
- Add soft dark brown sugar, which has a greater molasses content, to give our cookies a rich butterscotch flavour.
- Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes before baking, to solidify the fat and allow the cookie flavours to meld together.
- Add 1/2 tsp of almond extract. This is the secret ingredient for making rich and flavoursome cookies! If you are not a fan of almond extract, you can omit it, but the almond flavour compliments the white chocolate and pistachios particularly well.
How to make white chocolate pistachio cookies
As always, you can find the full recipe and instructions at the bottom of this blog post.
Firstly, we’re going to brown our butter by melting it in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. After about 6-8 minutes, the butter will have foamed up and the milk solids will caramelise. At this point, rapidly transfer the butter to a mixing bowl to prevent it from burning (photo 1).
Tip: Make sure you leave the brown butter to cool down! It is incredibly hot, and would cause your eggs to curdle if you don’t leave it to cool to room temperature.
To our cooled browned butter, we’ll add soft dark brown sugar and granulated sugar (photo 2). Using a mix of both sugars gives these cookies a perfectly chewy texture.
Then we’ll mix in 1 large egg and 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract for extra flavour (photo 3).
Add the flour and baking soda to the mixture to form the cookie dough (photo 4). Then add in the shelled pistachios and chopped white chocolate (photo 5).
Ensure you chill the dough for 30 minutes before scooping out onto a tray lined with parchment paper (photo 6). Make sure you leave enough room between the cookies as they will spread in the oven!
Then simply bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until golden at the edges, and enjoy with a steaming cup of masala chai. HEAVEN.
Variations on this recipe
You can easily customize your cookies by adding different mix-ins or toppings. Here are a few ideas:
- Substitute the white chocolate for milk or dark chocolate (you can use chips or chunks in this recipe – we don’t discriminate when it comes to chocolate)
- Add a some freeze dried raspberries for a burst of colour and tartness
- Drizzle the pistachio cookies in homemade pistachio almond butter (a VERY wise decision)
- Swap the pistachios for any nut of your choosing – I think almonds would taste amazing in this recipe!
Serving and storing these cookies
These cookies are best enjoyed warm alongside a refreshing glass of milk or a steaming cup of masala chai. They make a great snack for on-the-go or a delicious dessert when served warm alongside a scoop of ice cream!
If you like this recipe, I know you’ll love my fudgy vegan brownie cookies and buttery oatmeal cookie recipes too!
To store your cookies, place them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the cookie dough to enjoy on demand (see ‘Can I freeze these cookies?’ below).
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, both brown sugars are interchangeable in most cookie recipes. However, dark brown sugar has a higher molasses content and deeper butterscotch-like flavour, which makes it my personal choice in this recipe!
You may also notice a slightly different appearance in your cookies when using light brown sugar, but they will be delicious all the same 🙂
I have not yet tested a vegan version of this recipe, but I recommend making a batch of my vegan chocolate chip cookies, swapping the vanilla extract for 1/4 tsp of almond extract, and omitting the espresso powder. Then you can add some shelled pistachios and chopped dairy-free white chocolate for the mix-ins. Enjoy!
If you are in a pinch, you can skip browning the butter, but the flavour of your cookies will not be as rich and deep. If you are not browning your butter, you can melt it on the stovetop or microwave and follow the rest of the recipe as normal.
Yes! You can freeze portioned-out cookie dough balls in a ziploc bag for up to 1 month to bake on demand. You can bake them straight from the freezer, but be sure to increase the baking time by a few minutes.
A final note on this recipe – even though measurements are provided in both grams and cups, I HIGHLY recommend using a digital scale to measure your ingredients in grams. This is more accurate and will ensure your cookies come out perfectly. All the best!
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you make it, please leave a rating + review below and share your photos on Instagram tagging #shivanilovesfood!
Chewy White Chocolate Pistachio Cookies
Leave a Review Print RecipeIngredients
- 10 tablespoons/ 150 grams Unsalted Butter
- 3/4 cup/ 150 grams Soft Dark Brown Sugar can sub soft light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup/ 100 grams White Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Free-Range Egg
- 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
- 1 1/2 cups/180 grams Plain All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt omit if using salted butter
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 3.5 oz/ 100 grams White Chocolate as chips, or a bar chopped into chunks
- 1/3 cup/ 40 grams Shelled Roasted Pistachios
Instructions
- Make the browned butter: Add the butter to a saucepan over medium-low heat, and cook for 7-8 minutes stirring constantly. The butter will become very foamy and eventually the milk solids will caramelise and turn brown. Be careful not to burn the butter. When the butter has browned, quickly transfer it to a large mixing bowl to prevent it cooking further.
- Leave the brown butter to cool for 20 minutes. While you are waiting, you can shell and weigh your pistachios (if not shelled already) and chop the white chocolate into chunks.
- Once the butter has cooled and is not hot to the touch, add the soft dark brown sugar and granulated sugar to the mixing bowl and stir everything together using a wooden spoon.
- Add the egg and almond extract to the mixing bowl. Stir everything together until it is homogenous.
- Add the flour, salt and baking soda. Mix together to form a cookie dough.
- Add the pistachios and chopped white chocolate (or any other mix-ins of your choosing!). Stir everything together.
- Cover the bowl with cling film or a tea towel and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This step is important for re-solidifying the butter and enriching the flavour of our cookies!
- About 10 minutes before the dough is finished chilling, preheat your oven to 170 °C/340 °F and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and use a cookie scoop or large spoon to portion out the dough. Make sure you leave enough room between the cookies as they will spread!
- Bake the white chocolate pistachio cookies for 10-12 minutes until golden at the edges. For a softer cookie, underbake them slightly, and for a crisper cookie, leave them in a little longer.
- Leave the cookies to firm up on the baking tray for a few minutes before enjoying warm or transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute any mix-ins of your choice (dark chocolate, dried fruit, nuts…)
- Baked cookies will store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- You can freeze the cookie dough to enjoy on demand! See the FAQ box above for instructions.
