Apricot-Pistachio Cookies

Ingredients

• 125 grams all-purpose flour I use Gold Medal unbleached
• 40 grams finely chopped dried apricots
• ¼ teaspoon table salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted; I use Land O Lakes
• 75 grams granulated sugar
• ½ egg separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon rosewater
• 65 grams pistachios lightly toasted and chopped fine

Instructions

1. Lightly toast the pistachios; I just use the toaster oven and toast for 3-4 minutes. Let cool and then chop fine with a knife or 4-5 pulses in a mini food processor.
2. Whisk flour, apricots, salt, and baking powder together in bowl. In a second bowl, whisk melted butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until very smooth. Add flour mixture and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until well combined (dough will be loose). Let dough rest until firm, about 5 minutes.
3. Divide dough in half and roll each half into log that is 1¼ inches in diameter and about 10½ inches long. Wrap logs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
4. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread pistachios in even layer on counter. Working with 1 log at a time, brush with thin layer of egg white and roll log in nuts until exteriors are evenly coated, pressing very firmly to adhere. I’ve found it works best to press the nuts gently into the dough with the side of the knife.
5. Slice logs into ¼-inch-thick rounds and space 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until puffed and tops look dry but centers are still very soft, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
6. Let cookies cool on sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Serve. (Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 10 days.)

Notes

21 December 2025: I tried these for the first time today. They worked out well and have become Rich’s favorite cookie. I baked them on rack 2 using 9x13” baking sheets lined with a single layer of parchment paper. I bake about 12 at a time and get about 30-32 cookies total. 11 minutes seems to be the sweet spot for these cookies. Letting them get brown on the bottom lends a slightly unpleasant flavor; you want them cooked through and just the very slightest hint of golden brown on the bottom, if any at all.

23 December 2025: I made these again, refrigerating the dough overnight rather than the three hours I did last time. This worked out just as well, although the flavors of the vanilla and rose extracts seemed a bit muted compared to the first time. It could have been a coincidence, but consider next time adding a bit more especially if I am refrigerating overnight.

2 January 2026: We couldn’t resist making these again! This time I only refrigerated the dough for about 2 hours and while the dough was noticeably softer when working with it, it still worked out just fine and baked in 11 minutes. (My third sheet had only 5 cookies, so I was careful to watch it, and I pulled it about 20 seconds earlier than the others.)