Pistachio-Stuffed Raspberry Cookies
When my Almond Croissant Cookies went viral, I wanted to capitalize on the momentum. Far and away the most commented suggestion for what I should make next was some version of a pistachio croissant cookie. Pistachio being one of my favorite flavors, I didn’t need much prodding. My followers inundated me with a host of suggestions. Flavor the filling with rose. Add white chocolate to the dough. Try to incorporate raspberry somehow. All such good suggestions. My brain immediately went to Librae Bakery on Cooper Square in Astor Place, famous for their rose-pistachio croissant that perfectly straddles nuttiness and floralness. But with Valentine’s Day coming up, I wanted these cookies to be naturally pink. That’s where incorporating ground-up freeze-dried raspberries into the dough comes into play, imparting lovely fruitiness. So that’s where I ended up—a largely similar recipe to the almond version, with some tweaks for the pistachio fans and the Hallmark-promoted day of love.
Many more followers (or most likely they weren’t followers) also pointed out that my Almond Croissant Cookies weren’t croissants… Duh! They’re “Cookies”! I could've tried to achieve the flaky layers of a croissant by relying on phyllo dough, wrapping each individual dough ball in several layers of alternating phyllo and melted butter. You could even bake them in a muffin tin to ensure that they end up shaped correctly. That sounds heavenly, but it’s also much more work. Also, at that point they become more baklava than cookie. I wanted these cookies to be achievable for every baker within the span of about 30 minutes.
15 large cookies
Ingredients
For the almond filling:
2 cups pistachio flour (200g), or 1 1/3 cups shelled pistachios (200g) pulverized in a blender or food processor
2/3 cup granulated sugar (133g)
1 large egg
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (28g)
2 tsp rose water
1/2 tsp kosher salt
For the cookie dough:
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted (226g)
1 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar (220g)
1/2 cup powdered sugar (50g), plus more for garnishing
1 large egg
2 tsp rose water
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (380g)
1.25 oz freeze-dried raspberries (35g), plus more for garnish
Rose petals for garnish (optional)
Directions
Make the pistachio filling : In a medium bowl, whisk the egg. Using a spatula, mix in the pistachio flour, sugar, rose water, and butter. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the cookie dough: In a large bowl, add the butter, sugar, and powdered sugar. Mix with a spatula until combined. Mix in the egg, almond extract, baking soda, and salt until well-combined. Add the flour and stir until no dry spots remain.
Assemble the cookies: Using a quarter-cup ice cream scoop, portion out the cookie dough into balls and set on a plate or tray. Remove the pistachio filling from the refrigerator. Take a cookie dough ball and flatten it into a pancake. Using a two-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the pistachio and plop it into the center of the dough pancake. Envelope the cookie dough around the pistachio filling and roll until smooth. Repeat for all dough balls. Take the sliced rose petals and press them into the top of each dough ball. Refrigerate the cookies until oven is preheated.
Bake: Preheat oven to 350F with a rack set in the center. Add 8 dough balls to a parchment-lined half-sheet tray. Bake for 14-16 minutes, until the cookies are just turning golden at the edge. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove cookies to a plate or wire rack. Dust with the powdered raspberry. Repeat baking process with remaining cookies.
