Description
Delight in these Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies, featuring a perfect balance of crunchy pistachios and rich semi-sweet chocolate chips. This recipe combines finely ground and chopped pistachios with melted butter, sugars, vanilla, and a touch of flake salt for an irresistible cookie that’s crispy on the edges and chewy in the center.
Ingredients
Pistachios
- 2/3 cup shelled pistachios (70g), divided
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (270g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (2.5g)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (2.5g)
Wet Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks, 170g), melted and cooled
- 1 cup light brown sugar (200g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (10ml)
Add-ins
- 1 1/2 cups chopped semi-sweet chocolate
- Flake salt, for garnish
Instructions
- Chop Pistachios: Add half of the pistachios (1/3 cup) to a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Set aside. Pulse the remaining 1/3 cup a few times to coarsely chop. Set aside for mixing and topping.
- Melt Butter: Melt butter just until barely melted, then set aside to cool until warm but not hot, to preserve the texture of the dough.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and kosher salt thoroughly. This ensures even distribution of leavening agents.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a larger bowl, beat together the melted butter with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla bean paste, stirring until smooth. Then fold in the finely ground pistachio crumbs.
- Combine Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just incorporated. Fold in most of the coarsely chopped pistachios and the semi-sweet chocolate chips, reserving some for topping the cookies after baking.
- Chill Dough: The dough will be soft at this point. Refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes to 2 days to firm up the dough and enhance flavors. For longer storage, freeze the dough.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat for easy cleanup. Divide the dough into 18 equal portions, about 60 grams each, and space them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 10-14 minutes, or until the tops are set but the centers are still soft. They will firm up while cooling.
- Garnish: Immediately after removing from the oven, press a few reserved chocolate pieces and pistachio bites on top of each cookie and sprinkle lightly with flake salt for enhanced flavor and texture contrast.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, allowing the cookies to set perfectly.
Notes
- Chilling the dough firms it up and prevents cookies from spreading too thin during baking.
- Using both egg and egg yolk contributes to a chewy texture and richness.
- Flake salt on top enhances the chocolate and pistachio flavors with a slight crunch and salty contrast.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.
- For a nut-free version, omit pistachios and substitute with extra chocolate chips or seeds.
