The Wonderful Pistachio

Pistachio-Orange Cookies Dipped in Chocolate

Recent research suggests that pistachios have antioxidants, unsaturated fats, many vitamins and minerals that help in maintaining a balanced diet.  The pistachios in the recipe have been toasted to bring out their nutty flavor and have been combined with orange to create a balance.  If that weren't enough the entire cookie is dipped in dark chocolate.  A late night snack you can't feel too bad about.

Pistachio-Orange Cookies Recipe

Makes ~24 cookies

Ingredients:

Cookie batter:

2 cups toasted, chopped pistachios, shelled, unsalted (reserve 1/4 cup for topping)

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 large egg whites

1 tbsp orange zest

1 tbsp fresh orange juice

Chocolate coating:

1/2 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

2-3 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:

Pulse toasted pistachios, sugar and salt in a food processor until ground.  Add egg whites, zest, juice until just combined.  Store batter in an airtight container and chill one day in the fridge or five hours in the freezer.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees drop dough with a small cookie scooper onto baking sheet about an inch apart.  Top with remaining pistachios.  (TIP: If dough is too soft, try baking cookies in a mini muffin tin until set, remove from tin and continue baking on a cookie sheet.)

Bake until golden 20-25 minutes.  Allow ten minutes to cool on a wire rack.  Melt chocolate chips and oil in a microwave safe bowl on 30 second increments until melted completely.  Dip bottom of cooled cookie in chocolate and lay flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment.  Transfer to refrigerator for three hours until hardened.  Remove from fridge and enjoy!