Recipe courtesy of
Christopher Mercado
for
Food Network Kitchen
Recipe courtesy of
Christopher Mercado
for
Food Network Kitchen
Watch how to make this recipe.
Pistachio-Orange Matchstick Cookies
Getting reviews...
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 3 hr
- Active: 1 hr 15 min
- Yield: about 5 dozen matchstick cookies
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 60 servings
- Calories
- 94
- Total Fat
- 5 g
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 11 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Protein
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 9 mg
- Sodium
- 21 mg
Crumbly, buttery shortbread gets a fresh twist with the brightness of orange and the earthy crunch of pistachios. Cut into playful slender sticks, these cookies are baked until barely golden and tender, then partially dipped in smooth white chocolate for a creamy finish that balances the citrus. These sticks deliver big flavor in a two-bite package, perfect if you're building a holiday cookie platter or just craving something that feels elegant without requiring too much decorating.
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 3 hr
- Active: 1 hr 15 min
- Yield: about 5 dozen matchstick cookies
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 60 servings
- Calories
- 94
- Total Fat
- 5 g
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 11 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Protein
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 9 mg
- Sodium
- 21 mg
Ingredients
NEW: You can now switch to Cook Mode to keep your screen awake.
Directions
- Whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Pulse the pistachios in a food processor until finely chopped. Reserve 2 tablespoons in an airtight container for sprinkling on the cookies at the end. Set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed in a stand mixer until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the orange zest and vanilla and beat another minute to combine. Add the flour mixture and mix on low until mostly combined but still dry. Add the remaining chopped pistachios from the food processor and continue mixing until a crumbly dough is formed.
- Lay a sheet of parchment paper on a work surface and place half the dough mixture on top, packing and forming into a rectangle about 4 inches wide. You can use a bench scraper or ruler to pack in and straighten the sides. Place another parchment sheet on top and gently roll the rectangle out until it is 1/4-inch thick. Remove the top piece of parchment and using a sharp knife, trim the sides to even them again, keeping the rectangle at least 4 inches wide and 12 to 14 inches long. Cut the dough into 1/4-inch-thick sticks each about 4 inches long. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Transfer the cookies with the parchment to a baking sheet, stacking one on top of the other, and freeze until firm, at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Working with one sheet at a time, lay the cookies 1/2 inch apart. (Cookies might stick together during freezing; gently snap them apart along the cut lines if necessary.)
- Bake one sheet of cookies until barely golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet, about 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the second sheet and a third sheet if needed.
- Line another 2 baking sheets with parchment. Microwave the white chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer three-quarters of the white chocolate to a cup and dip about a quarter of each cookie matchstick into the chocolate, shaking off any excess. Rest the cookies on the prepared baking sheets.
- Transfer the remaining melted chocolate to a piping bag or zip-top resealable plastic bag and snip off a corner (reheat the chocolate in the microwave if needed). Drizzle more white chocolate over the dipped ends. Sprinkle the dipped ends with the reserved chopped pistachios and with the finely diced candied orange peel. Let the chocolate fully set, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Cook’s Note
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)
