Ingredients
Filling
- ⅔ cup pistachio cream
- ⅔ cup toasted kataifi
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ¼ cup natural cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil (or canola/vegetable oil)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature preferred
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups cake flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
Toppings
- ⅓ cup couverture or semisweet chocolate, melted (for drizzling)
- 2 Tablespoons roasted, salted pistachios, crushed (for topping)
Instructions
- Prepare the filling: In a bowl, stir together pistachio cream and toasted kataifi until well combined. Using a 1 Tablespoon-sized scoop (approx. 17g), portion the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Freeze until solidified while you prepare the cookie dough.
- Preheat the oven and prepare baking sheets: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- Melt and mix the butter mixture: In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the unsalted butter. Stir in the cocoa powder and avocado oil thoroughly. Allow the mixture and the bowl’s surface to cool until they feel no longer warm to the touch.
- Add sugars and wet ingredients: Once cooled, add the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Stir well to combine thoroughly.
- Combine dry ingredients and incorporate: In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet butter mixture in about four parts, stirring until fully incorporated and smooth after each addition.
- Form cookie dough balls with filling: Remove the pistachio filling from the freezer. Using a 2 ½ Tablespoon-sized scoop (about 48g), portion the cookie dough and roll each into a smooth ball. Create a thumb indentation in the center of each dough ball, place a frozen filling ball inside, and carefully wrap the dough around to enclose it.
- Arrange and bake cookies: Place the filled cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches (5 cm) between each. Bake in the center rack of the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- Flatten cookies if needed: Once baked, immediately press each cookie gently with the bottom of a large measuring cup to flatten them if they have not spread sufficiently. This helps achieve the desired shape and texture.
- Cool the cookies: Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before moving them, as they are fragile when warm and may break if handled too soon.
- Drizzle and garnish: After cooling, drizzle melted couverture or semisweet chocolate over the cookies and sprinkle crushed roasted pistachios on top. Let the chocolate set before serving.
Notes
- Use cake flour for a lighter, tender cookie texture. If unavailable, substitute with 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
- Ensure the butter mixture is completely cool before adding the eggs to prevent scrambling.
- The cookies are delicate when warm; handle gently to avoid breakage.
- For even baking, use a timer and avoid opening the oven door frequently.
- Freezing the filling helps retain its shape inside the cookie during baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern-inspired
