Pistachio Cardamom Cookies

Nothing says delicious like a good cookie. I've always heard about how fabulous pistachio cardamom macarons were, but if you've ever made a macaron, you know that it is a lot of work and for me, Sunday was just a chill day, so a cookie it was going to be.

This awesome pairing of flavors was transformed into a magnificent treat if I can say so myself. It is a flaky, shortbread-like cookie that is very light, flavorful and would go well with tea. You should definitely give it a try.

Pistachio Cardamom Cookies

Makes 2 1/2 dozen

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange zest
1 1/2 cups pistachios

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coarsely chop 3/4 cup of the pistachios and bake in the oven for approximately 5 minutes until the nuts are fragrant. Remove the pistachios from the oven and transfer to a bowl to cool.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, salt and cardamom together. Set aside.

Combine the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the sugar, vanilla and orange zest and beat for an additional minute. Reduce the speed to low and begin adding the flour mixture until just combined. Remove the bowl and fold in the baked pistachios.

Using plastic wrap, form your cookie dough into an 8-inch log. Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours, overnight is best.

When you are ready to bake your cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Finely chop the remaining 3/4 cup of pistachios. Unwrap the cookie dough and roll in the chopped pistachios making sure to coat the entire log. Using a knife, slice the cookies into approximately 1/4" thick rounds. Place the sliced cookies on a parchment covered baking sheet 1" apart.

Bake the cookies for 18-20 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies rest on the sheet for a minute or two. Then, transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely. Serve.