It’s December. Christmas is just around the corner…and my birthday is too. From Christmas parties to birthday lunches, there will be ample opportunities to celebrate. And I’m sure I’ll bake my fair share of pies, cakes, and cookies. Plenty of Christmas cookies. Because there’s nothing quite like pulling a fresh batch from your oven, packaging them up for family and friends, and then delivering them on a crisp winter afternoon.
But now that Lucy is walking and talking and getting into almost everything, I’ve been trying to find ways to make Christmas cookies that are a bit more wholesome. I don’t want her to restrict her from Christmas sweets, but I want to be mindful that sugar isn’t the best thing for little (or big) bodies to process on a regular basis. So I took one of my favorite recipes (a classic shortbread) and subbed coconut sugar for cane sugar. Coconut sugar is much lower on the glycemic index (and it’s actually nutrient dense with vitamins and minerals). Lulu joined me in the kitchen, and we whipped up a batch of pistachio shortbread cookies in under an hour. The smell of roasting nuts and butter filled our house, and we eagerly waited for the kitchen timer to chime.
I hope you enjoy these as much as we did. Due to the coconut sugar, they’re much darker than their traditional counterparts. But along with the added color comes a deep and rich flavor that just can’t be beat. Add the crunch of pistachios, and these cookies might just become holiday favorites. Lulu had one this afternoon (and would have easily gone back for seconds or thirds had I not distracted her with a new book).
3 sticks butter (1 1/2 cups) room temperature
1 cup coconut sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped
Beat together butter and coconut sugar until creamy. About 3 minutes using a stand mixer. In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour and salt. Gradually mix dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture. Stir until dough begins to clump together. Fold in 3/4 cup pistachios. Press into two flat discs, wrap with plastic wrap, and allow to chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly flour a work surface and preheat oven to 350 F.
After dough has chilled, roll out each disk on floured surface to 1/2 inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter of your choice, cut out rounds and arrange on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet (these cookies do no spread so feel free to space them closer together than other cookies). If desired, sprinkle with remaining chopped pistachios. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
