Christmas Cookie Week: Pistachio Almond Macaroons

All photos by Knoxy

Christmas cookies don’t have to be labor intensive to be both beautiful and satisfying. These pistachio almond macaroons are a perfect example of this notion. They take less than 20 minutes to make, they a gorgeous deep green hue to the cookie mix and taste like, well, gluten free heaven. Merry Christmas, my gluten free foodies!

Pistachio Almond Macaroons

2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup roasted and salted pistachios, finely ground + 2 cups more for dusting
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 egg whites
pinch of kosher salt
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
whole pistachios for garnish

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a food processor, combine the almond flour, finely ground pistachios, granulated and confectioner’s sugar, and kosher salt. Mix on low for a few seconds. Add the egg whites and almond extract and mix on high until the dough pulls together into a sticky mass and then forms a smooth ball. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, this means that your egg whites were large, so add a few more tablespoons of almond flour and mix on high. Repeat until the dough is thick and no longer sticking.

Put 1 cup of the finely ground pistachios in a shallow pan. Using a 1 1/4-inch-diameter ice cream scoop, scoop out the dough and transfer it to a flat surface; you should have 18 balls of dough.

Fill a shallow bowl halfway with water and lightly wet the palm of one hand. Rub your hands together so that they are very lightly moist. Roll the cookie between your hands to form a ball. Roll the balls in the ground pistachios until evenly coated. Gently press a whole pistachio kernel into the top of each ball. Repeat until all the cookies have been made.

Bake, one pan at a time, for 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The macaroons are done when toasted and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Makes 18 cookies