Pistachio Cardamom Butter Cookies

Elegant butter cookies infused with cardamom and studded with pistachios, then half-dipped in white chocolate. These sophisticated cookies combine the richness of browned butter with the aromatic warmth of cardamom and the nutty crunch of pistachios.

24 servings
2 hr 23 min

Ingredients

  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons whole cardamom pods, crushed
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 whole large egg
  • ½ cup chopped unsalted, shelled raw pistachios
  • 8 ounces white chocolate
  • teaspoons vegetable oil
  • ½ cup finely chopped unsalted
  • ounces shelled raw pistachios

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1.

    Cook butter and cardamom in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is golden brown and fragrant, 6-8 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes, then strain butter through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Freeze until just firm, about 15 minutes.

    30 min

  2. 2.

    Meanwhile, whisk flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl.

    2 min

  3. 3.

    Transfer butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; add sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until pale and well combined, about 2 minutes. Add egg and beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add dry ingredients and pistachios and beat on low speed just until combined.

    5 min

  4. 4.

    Turn out dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half. Place each half on a 9x13" sheet of parchment paper with the long end facing you. Roll dough into 2 logs about 1 1/2" in diameter. Wrap each in parchment paper, making sure to cover ends completely. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

    60 min

  5. 5.

    Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°F. Let dough stand at room temperature until soft enough to slice, about 15 minutes. Slice logs into 1/4"-thick rounds. Arrange rounds on 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets about 1" apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until bottoms are lightly golden, 12-15 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool.

    30 min

  6. 6.

    Combine chocolate and oil in a small heatproof bowl. Heat in 10-second intervals in microwave, stirring, until melted and combined, 30-40 seconds total.

    1 min

  7. 7.

    Dip cookies halfway into melted chocolate and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle chocolate with pistachios. Chill until chocolate is set, about 10 minutes.

    15 min

  8. 8.

    Dough can be made up to 2 weeks ahead; keep frozen. Let stand at room temperature until soft enough to slice, about 30 minutes.