These delightful Toffee Bits and Pistachio Cookies have a short tender texture owing to the cornstarch in the ingredients. Fabulously tasty bites, they are great on cookie trays, packaged in tins or boxes for gifts, and suitable for cookie exchange events. They go very well with a fine cup of tea or coffee, too.

The toffee bits give a bit of crunch and offer flavor in these cookies.  While I make the cookies with pistachios (as I find them a good complement to the toffee bits), any variety of nuts can be used – pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc.  The nuts should be chopped quite finely in keeping with the delicate texture and size of these cookies but not ground to a powder.

This dough does best if, after being mixed, it chills in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes. This firms up the dough a wee bit and makes it easier to form the dough into small balls. I recommend the use of digital scales for this recipe as it will ensure that the cookies are all of consistent size. If 22 grams of dough is used per cookie, this recipe has tested out at a yield of 38 cookies provided, of course, that the ingredients have been properly and accurately measured.

Once the balls have been formed and are on the cookie sheets, place them in the refrigerator for 12-15 minutes to firm up the butter which will have softened again while the cookie balls were being rolled by hand. As you know, when soft butter meets up with a hot oven, it starts to immediately melt and the cookies spread before the cookie structure has started to form and the cookies bake. Some flattening of these cookies is to be expected but they still should retain a mounded shape.

I tested baking these cookies at various temperatures and found that the sweet spot temperature at which to bake them is 365°F. Thank goodness for digital controls on modern-day ovens that allow any temperature to be set! I bake the cookies for approximately 14-16 minutes but recommend checking them at the 12-13 minute point as every oven runs a bit differently and some may run hotter than others and some will bake faster while others may bake a bit slower.  The cookies should be lightly tanned when baked.

Once they come out of the oven, let the cookies set on the cookie sheet for 7-9 minutes. These are delicate cookies and they need a bit of time to rest and set before being moved.

Store the Toffee Bits and Pistachio Cookies, between layers of waxed or parchment paper, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or freeze in airtight freezer container for longer storage.

Toffee Bits and Pistachio Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2/3 cup sifted/sieved icing sugar (aka powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar)
1 egg yolk, room temperature (discard egg white as not needed in this recipe or reserve for another use)
1½ tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt

1 cup baking toffee bits
1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios

Method:

Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.

Sift or sieve dry ingredients into a bowl. Sift or sieve icing sugar to remove any lumps before measuring out 2/3 cup of the sugar.

Separate the egg while cold. Discard the egg white which is not required in this recipe or reserve it for another purpose.

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter well at medium speed. Reduce mixer speed to lowest setting and blend in the icing sugar followed by the egg yolk and vanilla.

With mixer on lowest speed, gradually beat in the dry ingredients just until blended. Remove bowl from mixer stand and, using a large sturdy spoon (or hands), mix in the toffee bits and pistachios until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate dough for about 10 minutes to make it easier to handle for forming into balls. Do not let dough refrigerate for a long period as it will harden and be difficult to work with.

Scoop up about 22 grams of dough for each ball and form into balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing the balls 1½” – 2” apart. Place cookies in refrigerator for 12-15 minutes to firm up butter so cookies do not over-spread during baking.

While cookies are chilling, position oven rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 365°F.

Transfer cookies to oven and bake for apx. 14-16 minutes (but start checking for doneness at the 12-13 minute point of baking), turning cookie sheet(s) once halfway through baking. Let cookies rest on baking sheet(s) for about 7-9 minutes after coming out of the oven then carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Store cookies, between layers of waxed or parchment paper, in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or freeze in airtight freezer containers for longer storage.

Yield:  Apx. 38 cookies (of size indicated in recipe)

NOTE: Cookies made of sizes different than that indicated in recipe will require adjustments to baking times and will result in a different yield from that stated in the recipe.

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Toffee Bits and Pistachio Cookies

A cousin of the shortbread family, Toffee Bits and Pistachio Cookies are buttery sweet with a short, tender crumbly texture and a bit of crunchiness from the toffee bits and nuts.

Course Cookies

Cuisine Canadian

Keyword cookie balls, pistachio, toffee bits, toffee bits and pistachio cookies

My Island Bistro Kitchen Barbara – My Island Bistro Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sifted/sieved icing sugar (aka powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar)
• 1 egg yolk, room temperature (discard egg white as not needed in this recipe or reserve for another use)
• 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup baking toffee bits
• 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios

Instructions

1. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
2. Sift or sieve dry ingredients into a bowl. Sift or sieve icing sugar to remove any lumps before measuring out 2/3 cup of the sugar.
3. Separate the egg while cold. Discard the egg white which is not required in this recipe or reserve it for another purpose.
4. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter well at medium speed. Reduce mixer speed to lowest setting and blend in the icing sugar followed by the egg yolk and vanilla.

5. With mixer on lowest speed, gradually beat in the dry ingredients just until blended. Remove bowl from mixer stand and, using a large sturdy spoon (or hands), mix in the toffee bits and pistachios until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate dough for about 10 minutes to make it easier to handle for forming into balls. Do not let dough refrigerate for a long period as it will harden and be difficult to work with.

6. Scoop up about 22 grams of dough for each ball and form into balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing the balls 1½” – 2” apart. Place cookies in refrigerator for 12-15 minutes to firm up butter so cookies do not over-spread during baking.
7. While cookies are chilling, position oven rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 365°F.
8. Transfer cookies to oven and bake for apx. 14-16 minutes (but start checking for doneness at the 12-13 minute point of baking), turning cookie sheet(s) once halfway through baking. Let cookies rest on baking sheet(s) for about 7-9 minutes after coming out of the oven then carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
9. Store cookies, between layers of waxed or parchment paper, in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or freeze in airtight freezer containers for longer storage.

Recipe Notes

Yield: Apx. 38 cookies (of size indicated in recipe)

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NOTE: Cookies made of sizes different than that indicated in recipe will require adjustments to baking times and will result in a different yield from that stated in the recipe.

You may also enjoy the Snowball Cookie Balls Recipe from My Island Bistro Kitchen. Click here for the recipe.

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