Dark Chocolate & Pistachio Cookies
A chewy, decadent and elevated version of chocolate chip cookies, these incorporate nutty toasted pistachios, chopped dark chocolate and delicious brown butter. Make sure you allow adequate time for the butter to cool down as it does affect the overall texture and spread of the cookies.
Ingredients
- 200 g (14 tbsp) unsalted butter chilled, divided
- 80 g (⅔ cup) unsalted shelled pistachios
- 290 g (2 ⅓ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 7 g (1 tsp) salt (see note 1)
- 3 g (¾ tsp) baking/bi-carb soda
- ¼ tsp nutmeg freshly grated
- 150 g (¾ cup) light brown sugar
- 100 g (½ cup) caster sugar (see note 2)
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract optional
- 150 g (5 oz) dark chocolate about 70% cocoa, chopped
- Flaky salt for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Add 150g (10½ tbsp) of the butter to a small saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Melt the butter, stirring or swirling occasionally, and cook until it begins to bubble, the bubbles subside and you notice the butter beginning to turn brown on the bottom of the pan.
- Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl and stir in the remaining 50g (3½ tbsp) of cold butter. Cool to room temperature - or until it begins to solidify in places (see note 3).
- Meanwhile, add the pistachios to a rimmed baking tray and move to the oven. Toast for 5 minutes or until darkened and very fragrant. Remove from the oven and roughly chop the nuts. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, bi-carb soda and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cooled butter, the brown sugar, the caster sugar, the eggs and egg yolk. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes, or until the mixture is very fluffy and aerated. Beat in the vanilla extract and almond extract, if using.
- Add the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture. Beat on low speed until just incorporated and no dry spots remain. Add the chocolate and toasted pistachios and stir until just incorporated.
- Transfer the dough to a large piece of plastic wrap and compact it into a rectangle. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 3 days (see note 4).
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 180°C/350°F and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop or a sturdy spoon to portion out roughly 36 2-tbsp-sized (30ml/1oz) balls of dough. Using our fingers, break each dough ball in half, exposing the rough centre, and press it back together. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Arrange, evenly spaced and dispersed, on the 2 sheets.
- One tray at a time, bake the cookies until they're dry and browned around the edges, but still very soft in the centre - about 10-12 minutes. Cool on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Because the volumetric measurement of salt can vary from type to type and brand to brand, I highly recommend using the weight measurement of salt in order to ensure that the salinity is evenly balanced.
- Caster sugar (also known as superfine sugar) is my preferred style of sugar for baking. However, if you do not have it, simply swap out an equal amount of granulated sugar.
- You can move the butter to the fridge or freezer or stir it over an ice bath to speed it cooling, just make sure that you don't chill it too much. It still needs to be very pliable and not solid.
- If you would like to freeze the dough, portion it out first. Then, instead of baking, move the cookie dough balls to the freezer on the baking tray. Freeze until solid, then transfer to an airtight container. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to the usual bake time.
Nutrition
Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 167IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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