Every year, I bake a new treat for my friend’s annual Christmas cookie swap, and this year I knew I wanted to bring something a little different. Because I love pistachios, I decided to try a recipe for pistachio and white chocolate cookies, a unique cookie that immediately stood out as a festive and flavorful choice for the holiday table. When I came across a version from food creator Ryan Nordheimer, it felt like the perfect match, and after baking several batches, I knew they were the right pick for this year’s swap.
Ryan deserves full credit for the original recipe, so you can find it here: https://ryannordheimer.com/pistachio-cookies/.
What follows are my personal notes, tips, and suggestions after making several batches. Let’s dive in!
Why Pistachio And White Chocolate Cookies Are Perfect for a Christmas Cookie Swap
If you want to bring something unexpected to a holiday gathering, pistachio and white chocolate cookies are a wonderful option. The cookies offer a warm, nutty flavor with just the right amount of sweetness, and their subtle green hue looks beautiful on a Christmas cookie platter. They feel special without being overly complicated, which makes them ideal for holiday baking.
Choosing Ingredients for Pistachio And White Chocolate Cookies
High quality pistachio spread makes a difference. Many pistachio spreads contain added sugar or oils that overpower the natural flavor. My favorite that’s available in the UK is Nutural World Pistachio Butter, which contains only pistachios. Since the cookie dough is sweet on its own, an unsweetened pistachio spread creates the best flavor balance.
I also made my own pistachio flour using shelled pistachios (buy them shelled to save time!), plus sugar. This was super easy to do in my small blender at home.
Making the Pistachio And White Chocolate Cookie Chunks
Ryan’s recipe includes a step where you melt white chocolate, mix in pistachio spread, freeze the mixture, and chop it into chunks. It works, but in my batches, I didn’t think the color added a lot decorating wow on the cookies because it didn’t really pop – it just blended in with the cookies. The cookies still tasted wonderful though!
A Helpful Shortcut for Pistachio And White Chocolate Cookies
If you want a simpler approach, especially during the busy holiday season, an easy shortcut is to add the pistachio spread directly into the cookie dough and use white chocolate chips instead of making the bark. You still get the full pistachio and white chocolate cookie flavor without the extra steps. This version is efficient, quick, and ideal for making multiple batches for a Christmas cookie swap.
How the Pistachio And White Chocolate Cookies Turned Out
Another tip is to really load the cookies up with the toppings. The cookies spread out a lot when they bake, so you want to really load all of the surface area of the cookie on the cookie sheet to look like the finished product above.
The pistachio and white chocolate cookies baked up soft in the center with lightly crisp edges. The pistachio flavor came through beautifully, and topping each scoop of dough with chopped pistachios added color and texture. They stored well, held their shape, and were a standout addition to this year’s Christmas cookie swap.
Try the Full Pistachio And White Chocolate Cookies Recipe
To make the exact version as intended, visit Ryan’s original recipe: https://ryannordheimer.com/pistachio-cookies/ If you are searching for a unique cookie idea for your next Christmas cookie swap, these pistachio cookies are a festive and delicious option.
For more of my recipes, visit: https://thesavvybostonian.com/category/recipes/
Jessica Gioglio founded the travel and lifestyle blog, The SavvyBostonian and is the co-author of The Laws of Brand Storytelling and The Power of Visual Storytelling. Professionally, Jessica has led innovative marketing and public relations programs for Dunkin’, TripAdvisor, Sprinklr, and more. Today, Jessica is a keynote speaker on brand storytelling (book her here) and founder of With Savvy Media & Marketing, a strategic branding, storytelling, and content strategy consultancy.
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