Fancy Cookies: Pistachio-Vanilla Bean

We eat more pistachios around the holidays. Something about pistachios with a side of red wine reminds me of Christmas festivities. So when I saw this recipe I thought it might make the perfect addition to the holiday cookie box (minus the wine).

These shortbread cookies are stuffed with pistachios, then dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with more pistachios. They come together fast and I like the ability to mix up a batch and store in the fridge for up to two days until I'm ready to bake.

The white chocolate is a nice foil to the salty, dry roasted nuts. If your tastes lean towards less sweet, more savory shortbread, you could omit it. Or swap it out for a dip in dark chocolate. These cookies freeze well. Just place in an airtight container and place in the freezer. Consume within three months.

Mix dough ingredients, form into a log and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Refrigerated dough is easier to slice. 

Slice logs into 1/4 inch slices. Place on baking sheet
and bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool slightly on baking sheet. Remove to a rack to cool completely.

Melt chocolate and shortening. Dip half of cookie in
chocolate and sprinkle with additional nuts.

Sweet, salty, buttery deliciousness!

Pistachio-Vanilla Bean Cookies
from Better homes and Gardens

Makes about 50 cookies

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 vanilla bean
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped salted dry-roasted pistachio nuts
6 oz white chocolate, cut up
2 tsp shortening

1/4 cup finely chopped salted dry-roasted pistachio nuts

In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using the tip of a knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean halves into butter mixture. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Stir in 1 cup pistachios.

Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 1 1/2-inch-thick log (about 7 inches long). Wrap each log in waxed paper; twist the ends. Chill for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Cut chilled logs into 1/4-inch slices. Place slices about 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake about 8 minutes or just until firm and browned on the bottoms. Cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute. Transfer to wire racks; cool.

Combine white chocolate and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring often, until melted. Dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup reserved nuts. Place on a wire rack over waxed paper and let stand until set.

Fancy Cookies: Decorated Cut-Outs

During the holiday season I make several varieties of cookies to share with friends, family and co-workers. I love having a ready made dessert/gift in the freezer and while I add a few new kinds each year, most are old standbys. My goal is 10-12 varieties in the freezer by the first week of December. Sometimes I even make it.

An annual favorite, decorated cut-outs provide a colorful addition to the cookie plate. The base is a soft, tender sugar cookie but the real star is the frosting. I use a traditional piping icing, but feel free to substitute a flooding or buttercream icing. This makes about 5 dozen, depending on the thickness of the dough and size of the cookie cutters. While the pictures feature Christmas cookies, I use the same recipe for cookies celebrating Valentine's Day, Halloween, birthdays and other celebrations.

After the dough is mixed, wrap tightly and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Roll dough on a lightly floured surface. I roll a quarter at a time.

Roll to 1/8 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters.

After baking, cool completely before icing.

While cookies cool, make icing and tint with desired colors. I frost by
spreading the icing with a knife and using a piping bag. 

Cut-Out Cookies
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
4 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla, eggs and salt incorporating well. Mix in baking powder and flour. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Dust surface with flour and roll dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into shapes. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Cool and frost.

Piping Icing
2 cups shortening
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract (optional)
8 cups powdered sugar
8 Tbsp milk

Beat shortening and extracts. Add half of powdered sugar and 4 Tbsp milk. Gradually beat in remaining powdered sugar and milk. This icing is stiffer than traditional icing to facilitate piping.

Holiday Food Prep Schedule

Hosting a holiday meal can make for a stressful day for the host. I'm sort of a stickler about getting the meal on the table at the pre-announced time, so I make a schedule to keep me on track. With an eye on the clock, I can usually have the food on the table within 5-10 minutes of my goal.

To get the entire meal on the table at the same time, I enlist both my ovens and a turkey roaster. I've adapted the schedule below to include a microwave and crock pot, in case you have just one oven. A note about a roaster: you might think it's an unnecessary kitchen tool that you'll use only once a year. In addition to roasting a holiday turkey, ham or beef roast, this workhorse can also be used to roast multiple chickens simultaneously and feed hungry crowds sausage & peppers, pulled pork, chicken & noodles and more. 

This 70+ year old roaster belonged to my grandmother. The top can be separated from the base
for countertop use. The masking tape on the upper right was placed there by Grandma Egner
so no one would (accidentally) take her roaster from covered dish dinners and farm meals. 

A note about roasting turkey: The roasting time below is for a 14 lb. unstuffed turkey with a 1pm finish time. To learn how long to roast your turkey, check the Butterball roasting chart. If you're stuffing your turkey, be sure to place stuffing in cavity just before placing in the oven. Stuffing the bird the night before can encourage bacteria growth. Also, pop-up timers can be faulty. Determine doneness with a meat thermometer: 165 degrees at the meatiest part of the thigh and breast, making sure not to touch the thermometer to the bone.

Sample Holiday Meal Schedule

Two days before the meal

• Prepare bread for stuffing: cut into cubes and dry in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes stirring once. Cool and store in a sealed bag until ready to use
• Make and refrigerate cranberry sauce.
• Make and refrigerate brine.

Day before the meal

• Saute vegetables for stuffing
• Place turkey in brine in the afternoon
• Blanch  and refrigerate fresh vegetables in prep for final cooking: green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.
• Assemble and refrigerate salads and other cold sides
• Make pies or other desserts
• Make and refrigerate mashed potatoes
• Chill beverages

Day of the meal

8:30am Preheat oven/roaster

Prep turkey for roasting

9:00 Place turkey in oven/roaster

Crockpot: Heat premade mashed potatoes on low 

stirring occasionally

Prep veggies for roasting, sauteing or boiling

11:30 Assemble stuffing

12:30 Remove turkey from oven/roaster to rest for 30 minutes

Oven: Bake casseroles requiring dry heat (stuffing, 

mac & cheese, etc.)

Oven: Roast veggie sides

Stove: saute/boil veggie sides

Strain pan drippings into saucepan and make slurry for gravy

12:45 Microwave: Heat casseroles that can withstand 

moist heat (squash, green beans)

12:50 Stove: Make gravy

1:00 Let’s eat!!

How do you manage your holiday feast?