I have drop-cookie issues.  I know they’re tasty and easy and much beloved. But I really can’t handle the uncertainty inherent in a cookie that just gets plopped onto a cookie sheet with a spoon.  I need cookies to be precisely scooped or rolled or cut out, not “dropped”.  Making chocolate chip cookies leaves me deeply unsatisfied.  I’ve been thinking about a cookie with dried fruit and nuts but all my internet research led straight to drop cookies. So I got to work cooking up some delicious fruit-nut cookies that could be rolled out and cut into precise circles.  No blobs allowed!

The pistachio-apricot flavors in my favorite biscotti (from this great book) were a great jumping-off point.  Then I added some cardamom, extra eggs and a lemony glaze to my standard sugar cookie recipe and tweaked a few things.  

And, hooray!  I loved the results on the first try.  They have big apricot flavor and a toasty nuttiness that’s not overly sweet.  The lemon glaze adds a bright note which makes them almost refreshing and not heavy at all.  I was a teensy bit shocked to find out that just one batch made NINE DOZEN cookies!  More for me.  Here are some things to know about these surprisingly light, subtly tart, nutty beauties:

• I chopped my pistachios by hand, mainly because I really hate washing my food processor, but if that’s not a hang-up for you, chopping the nuts in the food processor would be faster and probably yield more even pieces.
• They really do need to chill overnight.  The extra eggs give them a beautiful golden color and rich taste, but yield a rather “wet” dough that really needs to chill down before it’s manageable enough for the rolling pin.  
• I used a 2-inch biscuit cutter because if you make the cookies small enough, you can eat as many as you want.  But it’s fine to use a 2 1/2-inch round cutter if you prefer.  You just won’t get the obscene NINE DOZEN 2-inch cookies I ended up with.  And you’ll need to bake them for closer to the 10-12 minute mark.
• When you bake these, check them at 9 minutes.  You want the edges to begin to brown but not the entire cookie.  I noticed this happened pretty quick, at around minute 10.
• I had to experiment with the glaze to get it right.  When I dipped them, they were overwhelmingly sweet.  When I drizzled the glaze, it looked a bit messy and didn’t set well.  To achieve the spiraled look I landed on, take a silicone pastry brush or any wide food-safe brush and brush the glaze across the entire top of the cookie.  Then drag the brush in a circular motion around the cookie.  Don’t fuss too much, I found working quickly made them look the nicest.

Print Recipe

Glazed Apricot-Pistachio Cookies

These surprisingly light, delightfully tart, nutty beauties roll-out in no time. Be sure to chill the dough overnight and use a sharp biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to cut through the dried fruit and nuts in the dough.

Servings

DOZEN!

Ingredients

Apricot-Pistachio Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 6 ounces dried apricots finely chopped, about 1 loose cup
• 1 cup pistachios finely chopped (I used salted, but if you use unsalted add 1/2 teaspoon salt when you add the baking soda and cardamom)

Lemon Glaze

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice

Servings DOZEN! Ingredients Apricot-Pistachio Cookies 1 cup unsalted butter softened 1 1/2 cups sugar 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 teaspoon baking soda 3 1/2 cups flour 6 ounces dried apricots finely chopped, about 1 loose cup 1 cup pistachios finely chopped (I used salted, but if you use unsalted add 1/2 teaspoon salt when you add the baking soda and cardamom) Lemon Glaze 2 cups powdered sugar 4 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

To Make the Cookies:

1. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract. Beat until combined. Add the cardamom and baking soda and beat to combine. Add the flour and beat until combined. Add the apricots and pistachios and mix until just combined. Divide the dough in thirds and wrap each third in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Remove one third of the chilled dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of a scant 1/4 inch. (Keep turning the dough as you roll, making sure the dough does not stick to the counter.) Cut out your circles and transfer cookies to baking sheet. Place the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes to chill the dough which prevents the cookies from spreading and losing their shape while baking. Repeat with remaining disks of dough.
4. Bake cookies for about 9-11 minutes (depending on size) or until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

To Make the Lemon Glaze

1. In a smal bowl, combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice and stir until smooth.
2. With a silicone pastry brush, or any wide food-safe brush, cover the top of the cookie with a thin layer of glaze. Working quickly, use the bristles of the brush to trace a circular pattern around the cookie. Allow to dry until glaze is set, about one hour. Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days.

Recipe Notes

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