Description
These Pistachio Ricotta Cookies are soft, moist, and full of nutty flavor. The ricotta cheese keeps them tender while chopped pistachios add a delightful crunch. Finished with a light glaze, they’re perfect for holidays, parties, or afternoon tea.
Ingredients
- Ricotta (whole-milk), 1 cup — ≈240 g (drained 20–30 minutes)
- Unsalted butter, 6 tbsp — ≈85 g (softened; or brown the butter for variation)
- Granulated sugar, ¾ cup — ≈150 g
- Large egg, 1 (≈50 g)
- Vanilla extract, 1 tsp (or almond extract) — ≈5 ml
- All-purpose flour, 1 ¾ cups — ≈210 g
- Baking powder, 1 tsp — ≈4 g
- Salt, ¼ tsp — ≈1.5 g
- Pistachios (toasted and chopped), ¾–1 cup — ≈90–120 g
- OR: Pistachio paste option — ½ cup paste (≈120 g) + ½ cup chopped pistachios (≈60 g) for extra color/flavor
- Powdered sugar (for glaze), 1 cup — ≈120 g
- Milk or lemon juice (to thin glaze), 1–2 tbsp — ≈15–30 ml
- Optional: lemon zest, 1–2 tsp (for lemon-pistachio version)
- Optional: white chocolate for drizzle, 2–3 oz (60–90 g)
Instructions
- Prep
- Drain 1 cup whole-milk ricotta for 20–30 minutes; set aside.
- Toast 1 cup shelled pistachios (if using) at 325°F for 5–8 minutes, cool, then chop. Reserve 2–3 tbsp finely powdered/paste if desired.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment.
- Mix wet ingredients
- Cream 6 tbsp softened unsalted butter with ¾ cup granulated sugar until light and slightly fluffy (2–3 minutes).
- Beat in 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and the drained ricotta until homogenous.
- Add dry ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet until just combined; avoid overmixing.
- Stir in ¾–1 cup chopped toasted pistachios (or ½ cup pistachio paste + ½ cup chopped nuts if using paste).
- Portion & bake
- Scoop 1–1.5 tbsp dough onto prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Optional: chill scooped dough 15–30 minutes for taller cookies.
- Bake 10–15 minutes until edges are set and bottoms are light golden; centers will look just set.
- Cool 5 minutes on sheet, then move to wire rack to cool completely.
- Glaze & finish
- Whisk 1 cup powdered sugar with 1–2 tbsp milk or lemon juice to a pourable glaze; thin with extra liquid if needed.
- Dip or drizzle glaze, then top with a few chopped pistachios. Alternatively, drizzle melted white chocolate.
- Prep Time: PT20M
- Cook Time: PT35M
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 135kcal
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 20mg