Food stylist, cookbook author and editor Donna Hay shares one of her favourite recipes …
Sunshine, Lemons and Sea Salt celebrates modern coastal home cooking – perfect for long lunches, casual beach picnics or garden parties. Think fresh, easy, delicious and made for sharing. From grilled chilli honey salmon and feta baked garlic bread to a zesty whole lemon cake, there are lots of great recipes to make this summer. Save Donna’s recipe for pistachio chocolate chip cookies below.
“I don’t want to brag, but my choc chip cookies have earned a bit of a reputation for their fudgy, chewy, crisp-edged perfection. So if I’m doing a new flavour riff like this nutty pistachio one, it has to keep hitting all those high notes!”
Makes 12
Ingredients
120g store-bought pistachio spread
2 1/4 cups (335g) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of (baking) soda
1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)
3/4 cup (180g) firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (110g) caster (superfine) sugar
225g unsalted butter, chopped and slightly softened
2 cold eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
250g milk chocolate, chopped
1 cup (150g) toasted pistachios, chopped
Method
1. Line a small baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Scoop 12 x 1 1/2 teaspoons of pistachio spread into balls and place on the prepared tray. Freeze for 1 hour or until firm.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
3. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cornflour. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add both the sugars and butter and beat for 8 minutes or until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla and salt and beat for 3-4 minutes or until the batter turns pale in colour and the sugars are well incorporated. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until combined, ensuring not to over-mix. Add the chocolate and pistachios and stir to combine.
6. Roll the dough out into 12 x 1/2-cupful (about 110g) rounds and flatten slightly. Press a frozen pistachio ball into each and gather the dough edges around the pistachio ball to enclose. For thicker, fudgier cookies, freeze the cookie dough rounds for 1 hour or overnight.
7. For flatter, crispier cookies, bake the cookie dough rounds immediately.
8. Place the cookie dough rounds onto 2 large baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper, allowing 10cm (4 inches) between each cookie.
9. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Allow to cool on the trays.
Cook’s note: You can also use store-bought pistachio spread for this recipe.
From Sunshine, Lemons and Sea Salt by Donna Hay (€33.60).