makes 20-24 cookies | active time: 30-35 minutes | full time: 50 minutes

ingredients:

• 1 stick butter, softened (113 g or ½ cup)

• ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 g)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ½ tsp almond extract (optional)

• 1 cup all purpose flour (120 g)

• ⅓ cup ground pistachios (60 g)

• 1 tsp salt

• Pistakio OG pistachio spread about 1 tsp per cookie and more to drizzle

• pomegranate seeds (about 75 kernels), to garnish

• mint (2 leaves per cookie, about 48)

• ½ cup powdered sugar (65 grams)

• 2 tbsp pomegranate juice

instructions:

• preheat the oven to 350ºF and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.

• in a standing mixer, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar with a paddle attachment. once light and fluffy, add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat again.

• add the flour, ground pistachios, and salt, and mix until just combined.

• form small balls of dough (about ¾ inch wide) and place on the baking trays, leaving a couple inches between each cookie. press your thumb down into the center of each ball, to leave an indent.

• optional: chill the imprinted dough for 10-15 minutes to firm up the butter.

• spoon about 1 tsp of the pistachio spread into the indent of each cookie.

• bake the cookies for 14 - 16 minutes, one tray at a time, until the cookies are slightly golden and the bottoms are a light brown. allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking tray, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

• in a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and pomegranate juice until completely smooth. optionally, pour it into a piping bag and snip a small hole for drizzling, or just use a spoon.

• with the cookies still on the wire rack, generously drizzle the pomegranate glaze on each cookie, followed by a drizzle of the pistachio spread.

• garnish each cookie with 2-3 pomegranate seeds and mint leaves to resemble holly berries. store in the fridge.

 recipe development by @audreys.table