pistachios – The Pajama Chef

Cranberry-Pistachio Citrus Butter Cookies. A mouthful of words, a mouthful of deliciousness. Seriously you guys… there is SO MUCH DELICIOUSNESS in these lil cookies. Dried cranberries. Pistachios. Lemon. Orange. Butter. Yum yum yum.

I made these cookies for the 2013 Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, and sent them to Alicia at Balancing Motherhood [who I found out is a fellow KD sister! AOT!], Renata at First Time Foods, and Emily at Pink Tiger in the Kitchen. I hope y’all liked them! I know we certainly did. They are buttery and nutty, full of holiday cheer.

I’m usually wary of baking with nuts and dried fruit, even though I love both on their own. I guess I associate nuts and dried fruit in sweets with old people cooking, or something weird like that [no idea why]. I’ve been trying to think of an exception for a good five minutes, but no can do. WAIT! THESE cookies are the exception. The nuts and dried fruit are totally necessary for adding the right amount of crunch to the chewy citrus butter cookies. If you don’t like cranberries and pistachio, feel free to swap out your favorite alternatives. Cherry-pecan? Blueberry-walnut? Whatever your little heart dreams up is what you should make. Unless you like directions. Then stick with cranberry-pistachio. 🙂

In addition to sending out cookies, participating in the cookie swap means you get some in the mail too! I was fortunate to receive Double Coconut Macaroons [top] from Mary Beth at A Carrot and A Cupcake, and Cranberry Pistachio Pudding Cookies [bottom] from Starr at Chicago Foodie Girl. Both were sooo good and I’m anxiously awaiting the recipes! Hopefully I’ll be getting my third batch soon!

Hope you enjoy!

one year ago: Cranberry Orange Pancakes with Cranberry Maple Syrup
two years ago: Cranberry Pineapple Sauce

Cranberry-Pistachio Citrus Butter Cookies [from Vanderbilt Wife]
click to print

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of 1 orange
1 egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpats.

Place butter and sugars in a bowl and cream with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add milk, lemon juice, orange zest, and egg, then mix on low to combine.

Add flour, baking powder, and baking soda, then mix on low until combined. Fold in pistachios and cranberries with a wooden spoon.

Spoon onto cookie sheets by tablespoons. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are brown. Centers may look a little soft. Let rest on cookie sheets for 3-4 minutes before moving to cooling rack. Store in airtight container.

Time: 30 minutes.
Yield: 3 dozen cookies.

Notes: Dough can get pretty soft, so just pop in the refrigerator between batches. These cookies freeze and ship well, too!

Linked up with: Foodie Friday, Weekend Potluck.

I’ve tried so many non-basil pestos this summer. It has been absolutely great! Though I love love love this kale pesto, I think I have found a new favorite… and it’s really fun. This pesto is made from two of my favorite herbs and my favorite nut. Already sounds like a winner, huh?

Mint, parsley, and pistachio. YUM! It’s pretty much the most awesome combination ever. Though I can’t take credit for it [Cooking Light wins here], I can take credit for the addition of some fun summer vegetables. Tossing tomatoes, zucchini, and red bell peppers in with a herby, nutty pesto make this dish SO filling and incredibly flavorful. Mint is an herb that I love to use in iced tea and the occasional fruit salad, but I loved how it worked in this fresh, savory pasta.

Topping everything off with some asiago cheese is highly recommended too, but I won’t cry if you use Parmesan instead. Asiago is just my ultimate cheese pick though! Normally I have a 50/50 track record with “topping” dishes off with whatever suggestion a recipe makes, but it’s essential to this dish since the pesto doesn’t include cheese. I almost added some but decided not to once I gave it a taste. Totally unnecessary with all the fresh flavor in that pesto. Hope you try this pasta out before the summer’s up. I know I’ll be making it again soon!

one year ago… Peaches and Cream Pancakes
two years ago… Roasted Tomato Sauce
three years ago… Cran-Oat Muffins

Fettuccine with Pistachio-Mint Pesto + Summer Vegetables [adapted from Cooking Light]
click to print

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup unsalted, shelled dry-roast pistachios, plus 4 teaspoons for sprinkling [divided]
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large clove garlic
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
6 ounces dried fettuccine [or 9 ounces fresh fettuccine]
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small zucchini, sliced [about 1 cup]
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 ounce freshly shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

In a food processor, combine mint, parsley, 1/4 cup pistachios, salt, pepper, and garlic. Pulse several times to combine, then stream in 3 tablespoons olive oil, scraping the sides if necessary.

Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add zucchini and peppers and saute for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add tomatoes and heat until pasta is ready.

When pasta is fully cooked, return to pot and toss with pesto. Add vegetables and toss again, then serve with cheese and pistachios.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings.

Linked up with: Tuesday Talent Show.