Salted Pistachio Chocolate Shortbread (Printable Format)

Buttery, crumbly shortbread cookies with pistachios and chocolate, finished with flaky sea salt.

# What's Needed:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

03 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
04 - 3/4 cup powdered sugar
05 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Mix-Ins

06 - 3/4 cup shelled roasted pistachios, roughly chopped
07 - 3/4 cup dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

→ Finish

08 - 1 large egg, lightly beaten
09 - 3 tablespoons turbinado or demerara sugar
10 - Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

# How To Make It:

01 - Whisk together flour and fine sea salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
02 - Beat unsalted butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract.
03 - Gradually add flour mixture on low speed until just combined; avoid overmixing.
04 - Fold chopped pistachios and chocolate chunks evenly into the dough using a spatula.
05 - Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a log approximately 1.5 inches in diameter on parchment paper. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - Unwrap logs, brush lightly with beaten egg, then roll edges in turbinado sugar.
08 - Slice logs into 1/2-inch rounds. Place on baking sheets spaced 1 inch apart.
09 - Sprinkle cookies lightly with flaky sea salt.
10 - Bake for 13 to 15 minutes until edges turn golden.
11 - Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Buttery crumbly texture
  • Roasted pistachios and decadent chocolate chunks
02 -
  • For a nut-free version omit pistachios and increase chocolate to 1 cup
  • Cookies can be frozen before baking slice and bake from frozen adding 1–2 minutes to baking time
03 -
  • Do not overmix the flour to keep the shortbread tender
  • Chill the dough logs well to make slicing easier and maintain shape
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