Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies

Jump to:

• These Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies glean with California grown ingredients
• Pair thumbprint cookies with a special small batch jam
• Ingredients for making Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies
• 3 pro tricks that elevate these cookies
• Making the Pistachio Thumbprint Cookie Dough
• Rolling the cookie dough balls
• How to shape & fill thumbprint cookies
• The jam in these Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies glistens like little gems
• More pistachio recipes from Baking The Goods
• Recipe
• Comments

If you could capture the spirit of California in a holiday cookie, it would look a whole lot like these Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies.

California Grown Pistachios bring nutty warmth, tantalizing texture and a soft green hue to these easy, tender and buttery drop cookies. Fine ground pistachios are blended into the orange scented cookie dough while an additional layer of coarsely chopped pistachios encrust the exteriors, creating an ultra crunchy outer shell. Each cookie is stamped with a single thumbprint in the center, forming little nutty wreaths that elegantly wrap around dollops of California fruit infused jam. These warm and sunny cookies glean with a fancy jewel-tones and fresh California flavor. They'll surely brighten the holidays and cookie platters this season.

Holiday cookies should be special. Offering something you may not experience on any given Tuesday. These Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies incorporate everyday ingredients However, thanks to a few tricks, the ingredients are upgraded to special occasion cookies.

A casual holiday cookie with an air of elegance

Not too sweet with warm nutty notes and a drop of specialty jam in the centers, the gentle flavors of these Pistachio Thumbprint Cookie offer a welcome alternative among the sugar bombs and spice stuffed cookies that typically accompany the holidays.

Sure, holiday cookies can get elaborate. Just look at my Vanilla Sugar Cookie Trees with Cream Cheese Frosting or my Gingerbread Llama Cookies, for instance. Decorating cookies can be an involved endeavour, which is also the fun of it! Dedicating a whole day to making and decorating cookies is one of the best holiday moments. Yet, we don't always have that kind of time.

Instead, consider a batch of Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies. With a quick and easy turnaround time, these cuties look just as lovely as their highly decorated cookie cousins without all that work.

These Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies glean with California grown ingredients

If ever there was a holiday cookie that radiates a cool California aesthetic, it has to be these Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies. Pebbled in California Grown pistachios, scented with sunny CA citrus and filled with glowing, jewel-toned jam made from fresh California fruit, these cookies are quintessential California.

A trip to wine country inspired these cookies

In late October I had the opportunity to attend the Cherry Bombe Wine Country Jubilee in Calistoga, CA with my partners from California Grown. It goes without saying, this is the peak perfect time of year to visit California's wine country. The welcoming casual elegance of Calistoga planted the vision for these Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies.

Calistoga, known for its geothermal hot springs and world class wines, is an idyllic small town, crowning the northernmost tip of Napa Valley in laidback charm & natural beauty. A bountiful backdrop for Jubilee.

The weekend featured talks and panels from an impressive and inspiring lineup of talented women in food and wine. Chefs, bakers, winemakers, authors, mothers, business owners, dreamers, doers and change makers shared their wisdom, histories and pioneering plans to improve the landscape of our food and food systems. Weaved throughout the weekend was a thick thread of empowerment and encouragement from women who’ve built up themselves and their communities with grit, grace and an abundant serving of support.

Over 98% of all US pistachios are grown in California

While driving through California on the way to Calistoga, I recalled a California Grown agritour I attended in the Central Valley. While on that trip I saw pistachio trees dripping with drupes for the first time. The pistachios were just about to be harvested and I was struck by the greenish-red clusters hanging gently from the trees. I've always enjoyed pistachios but seeing how they grow, deepened my appreciation for them.

Interestingly enough, pistachios weren’t commercially cultivated in the United States until the 1960’s. But they were an instant hit here and quickly became a common snack that we all know and love. The soft yet vibrant tone of pistachios encapsulates the warmth of holiday season in California. Making pistachios the ideal base for these thumbprint jam cookies.

Pair thumbprint cookies with a special small batch jam

During the Jubilee I met some women making small batch jams using California grown ingredients. These women are putting California grown fruit at the forefront of their products and their businesses. California produces over 400 specialty crops, so you can find all kinds of interesting jam flavors from CA. When making these Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies, look for California on that jam label to instantly elevate your cookies with with sun drenched, California grown fruit!

Ingredients for making Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies

What makes these Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies extra special is the balance of simplicity and sophistication. While they don't require many ingredients to make, it's the quality of the ingredients makes these thumbprint cookies extra special.

• California Pistachios add nutty flavor and an irresistibly crunchy texture to these cookies. The soft green tone is a nice nod to holiday cheer. Fine ground pistachios and coarsely ground pistachios add 2 different texture experiences to the cookies. Use raw pistachios since the cookie dough is salted and the pistachios will toast as the cookies bake.
• Real California Butter brings quality to the base of these butter based cookies. Look for a California made European style butter for superior flavor and texture.
• California grown jams come in a variety of flavors. Look for fun and inventive flavors from small batch makers at your local markets or specialty stores.
• California grown orange is zested into the sugar. The zest adds a soft citrus essence to the cookies, which pairs up perfectly with the pistachios. The subtle hint of orange brings brightness that compliments the nutty, jammy cookies.
• 1 large egg gives the cookies just enough loft to help them rise around the jam.
• Granulated sugar is minimal in these Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies, the whole recipes uses just ½ cup of sugar to slightly sweeten the cookies. This allows the pistachios and jewel toned jams to shine.
• All purpose flour works in unison with the finely ground pistachios as the base for these cookies.
• Baking powder gives just enough lift to help bring an airy texture to the pistachio cookies.
• Vanilla extract rounds out the other flavors, happily highlighting the pistachios and jam.
• Fine sea salt punches up the pistachios with a saltiness that amplifies the nuttiness while complimenting the soft sweetness of the jam.

Making the Pistachio Thumbprint Cookie Dough

This Pistachio Thumbprint Cookie Dough is a simple cookie dough, made by first creaming the butter and orange citrus sugar together. Next, the egg and vanilla are blended into the dough. And finally the ground pistachio and flour mix are stirred in.

Rolling the cookie dough balls

No need for cookie cutters, these easy Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies are simply scooped then rolled in the coarsely chopped pistachio mix. Use a medium, 1 TB sized cookie scoop, about the size of a ping pong ball, to form cookies that are just the right size for thumbprints.

How to shape & fill thumbprint cookies

Thumbprint cookies have a classic look that's basically effortless to create. Once you've scooped the cookie dough balls and rolled them in the chopped pistachios, simply press the center of each cookie with your thumb to form a little well in the middle. Yes, it's that easy.

Then each thumbprint gets filled with about ½-3/4 teaspoon of your preferred jam or jams. That's it! So simple and swanky. The pistachio cookies form little green wreaths that wrap around the shiny jam gems in the center of each cookie.

I suggest chilling the Pistachio Thumbprint Jam Cookies in the freezer for at least 20 minutes while the oven preheats. This small step helps the cookies keep their wreath-like shape while baking. Additionally, the jam is less likely to bubble over the sides if it's chilled.

The jam in these Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies glistens like little gems

The simple elegance of these Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies is what makes them such a cheerful choice for the holidays. This thumbprint cookie recipe is easy but it's full of thoughtful touches that gloat grace like shiny gemstones.

Bask in the brilliance of the holidays and share the California sunshine by baking these Pistachio Thumbprint Cookie throughout the season. They are a giftable treat and add instant glam to any holiday gathering.

A great big thank you to my partners and pals California Grown for including me in the Cherry Bombe Wine Country Jubilee. What an empowering experience. Read more about my previous agri-tours with California Grown in Santa Cruz County, Monterey County, Central California Coast, California Central San Joaquin Valley and Temecula Valley!

More pistachio recipes from Baking The Goods

Print

Recipe