Biscotto di pasta frolla al pistachio con una spruzzata di Nutella
Biscotti Ispirati dal Gelato - Gelato-Inspired Cookies
I recently posted a picture on Instagram (follow me @signorina_o) of my friend and me at the gelato festival in Florence in 2013. It. Was. Amazing. Gelatai (gelato makers) from all over Italy came to showcase their most unique flavors. At the entrance to the festival, you would pay for a certain number of tickets, each ticket granting you a small ramekin of a different flavor of gelato. Not wanting to miss out on any truly incredible flavors, I remember walking around all the booths to get a look at the menus. On offer were flavors that ranged from sweet to savory, and I finally honed in on one that I knew had to try - pecorino, pear, and honey gelato. Unlikely flavors for an ice cream, but it's the only one I distinctly remember from almost 8 years ago. SO delicious and one-of-a-kind.
When I'm not eating whacky gelato, I like to indulge in more traditional flavor combinations. In Italy it's very common to get more than one flavor in a cup or cone, even more so than in the U.S. My favorite pair of flavors to mix in a cup is pistachio (pistacchio) and Nutella or hazelnut (flavors like nocciola and bacio). That is where the inspiration for this recipe came from. I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I do.
Also! If you're ever in Florence, you MUST go to the gelateria called Badiani. It's a bit outside the city center on Viale dei Mille, close to the soccer stadium. If you find yourself wandering around before a game, do stop in for their special flavor of gelato called buontalenti. It's a flavor that was invented at this gelateria in the 60s and contains only milk, cream, sugar, and eggs. I cannot tell you why it is so good, but it is. Trust me.
Ok back to the cookies.
La Ricetta - The Recipe
Makes 36 cookies
Gli ingredienti - the ingredients
burro salato ~ salted butter - 2 sticks (1 cup) @ room temperature
zucchero di canna ~ light brown sugar - 2/3 cup
vaniglia ~ vanilla - 1 teaspoon
farina ~ flour - 2 cups (you can use gluten free flour to make these gluten free!)
sale ~ salt - 1/2 teaspoon
pistacchi (tostati e salati) ~ pistachios (salted and roasted) - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Nutella ~ Nutella - 3-5 tablespoons for drizzling
Step 1. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a stand mixer until fluffy. Add the vanilla.
Step 2. Add the salt and then the flour a little at a time, mixing in the stand mixer until all ingredients are just combined.
Step 3. Add the pistachios and mix some more.
Step 4. Lightly flour a hard and clean surface. Scoop the dough up and place it on the surface and roll it into a log that's about 2 inches in circumference. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for an hour.
Step 5. Preheat the over to 325° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 6. With a serrated knife, slice the log into cookie rounds about 1/2 inch thick and place on the baking sheets. They won't spread too much, so no need to leave an overabundance of space between cookies.
Step 7. Bake for 12 minutes.
Step 8. Heat the Nutella in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds. This helps get it to a nice drizzle-able consistency.
Step 9. Using a spoon, drizzle the Nutella over the cookies and sprinkle bits of chopped pistachio on top. See video above!
Buon appetito!
