Sicilian Pistachio Cookies Recipe

By
Carrie Vasios Mullins
Carrie Vasios Mullins is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Carrie Vasios Mullins
Carrie Vasios Mullins is the former national editor at Serious Eats, with a focus on all things sweet.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated March 10, 2025
20110217-mafia-entertaining-dessert.jpg

Adapted from Dolce Italiano by Gina de Palma.

Recipe Details

Sicilian Pistachio Cookies Recipe

Prep 20 mins
Cook 35 mins
Active 25 mins
Cooling Time 35 mins
Total 90 mins
Makes 26 cookies
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour

  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

  • 2 cups shelled, unsalted pistachios (about 16 ounces whole pistachios)

  • 1 cup unsalted butter

  • 1 1/4 cups plus 2 teaspoons sugar

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1/2 tsp almond extract

  • Zest of one lemon

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Grease parchment paper with butter.

  2. Place 1 cup of pistachios in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped but not powder, approximately 20 pulses. In a medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Mix pistachios into flour mixture. Set aside.

  3. In a large bowl, beat butter with 1 1/4 cups sugar until it is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs. Scrape down sides of bowl, then beat in vanilla and almond extracts and lemon zest.

  4. Beat flour mixture into sugar mixture in two additions. The dough will be soft. Use a spatula to spread the dough evenly across the baking sheet. Roughly chop remaining cup of pistachios and sprinkle them over the dough. Sprinkle remaining two teaspoons of sugar over the dough.

  5. Bake dough for 35 to 40 minutes, or until it turns golden brown at the edges. Allow dough to cool on wire rack for 35 minutes, then cut into wedges.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
4132 Calories
309g Fat
269g Carbs
92g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 4132
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 309g 396%
Saturated Fat 132g 660%
Cholesterol 860mg 287%
Sodium 1854mg 81%
Total Carbohydrate 269g 98%
Dietary Fiber 32g 115%
Total Sugars 29g
Protein 92g
Vitamin C 10mg 50%
Calcium 415mg 32%
Iron 23mg 130%
Potassium 2950mg 63%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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