Monday's Recipe with Sara Getz: Orange-Blossom Water Pistachio Cookies

A very dear friend just left a job that was really not serving her anymore.  In any economic climate, I think it takes guts to leave a job, but it seems so brave and salient in this economy.  She just finished her first week at a new job that seems a much better fit, with a supportive staff and a good environment.  Another close friend left a job to pursue his own dreams and just celebrated a year of living a life according to his own rules, 9-to-5-job free.  I made them each a little gift of cookies as a congratulations gift.  I quickly snapped off this photo of the straggling leftover cookies with my camera this morning, but have a much nicer picture of the gift just waiting to be pulled off my camera later today.  I can send an update =)  This recipe has a few funky ingredients, but don’t be discouraged.  You can always sub a different oil or just cinnamon instead of the cardamom.  Orange blossom water is available in health food stores and Middle Eastern markets (and it’s cheaper at the latter!).

 

Orange-Blossom Water Pistachio Cookies

 

¾ cup sugar

¼ dark honey, such as buckwheat or smartweed (a lighter honey is fine, too)

3 T rice, soy, or almond milk

¼ cup coconut oil

¼ cup grapeseed oil

1 T orange blossom water

1 T lemon juice

1 t. lemon zest

2 t. good vanilla extract

¼ cup cornstarch

1 ¾ cup white flour

1 t. baking powder

½ t. salt

¼ t. cardamom

½ cup finely chopped pistachios

 

Heat the oil and the honey in a small saucepan until dissolved.  Add to sugar, milk, orange blossom water, lemon, zest, and vanilla.  Whisk to combine.  In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients except pistachios.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine.  Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350 F.

 

When the dough is chilled, roll into small balls (about a teaspoon’s worth) and press into pistachios, flattening the ball with your fingers.  Place nut-side up on a greased cookies sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned.  Cookies will be soft when you remove them from the oven, but they should not be so pliable that you cannot move them without them loosing shape.  Allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Comments

[Danielle]

Those look NUMMY!

XOXO,
Danielle