Newest Resident of Cookie City Checking in Here!
just me, Gav, and 60 cookies here waiting to be eaten
*Pistachio thumbprint recipe at the bottom!*
Hey guys!
Happy Holidays! This is the week when the holiday cheer truly kicks in. After weeks of disbelief that it's already December, we finally start to accept that we've reached the end of the calendar year. Los Angeles isn't the most festive city in America, as you can probably guess, and all fellow Angelenos reading this can attest to this fact.
This year I’m staying put in LA through Christmas and New Years which is unusual and makes me a little sad if I’m honest. To get into the holiday spirit mode, I decided to host a couple of festive gatherings. First up was our 4th(!) annual wreath-making party with the most attendees yet. Despite the chaos of the event, it’s always a lot of fun.
The week prior to wreath-a-palooza my husband and I gathered up branches and tree trimmings from around various Christmas tree lots to get the bulk of the materials. Then, everyone brings a few special or more ornamental pieces of foliage so there’s a lot to work with. From there you just need a wreath ring, floral wire, some wire cutters, and creativity!!! Here are our creations:
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b2bc3e3-deea-4db6-9ffd-d72d424d4e0c_4032x3024.jpeg)
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(Yes, they’re massive, that’s part of it).
Now onto cookies. Growing up we always made decorated sugar cookies, it often became a competition, and it was always fun! This year I wanted to recreate that experience and it filled my cup. I used this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction and made a double batch of dough and a triple batch of icing. I think the real key here was super fun icing colors and lots of different sprinkle options (don’t forget the eyeballs)!! My friend brought over a ton of gingerbread cookies that we also decorated, hence the 3x icing. Another friend brought over pignoli cookies to share and I made a batch of pistachio-orange thumbprints with dark chocolate ganache.
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pistachio-orange thumbprint cookies
makes about 30 cookies
ingredients
1 cup raw pistachios, plus more for garnish
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 ¼ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons orange zest
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, roughly chopped
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
instructions
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Add the pistachios to the bowl of a food processor and process until ground into a slightly coarse, but even crumb (it should resemble almond flour and hold together briefly when pressed between your fingers). Measure out ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons of the ground pistachio and transfer to a medium bowl, reserving the remaining 2 tablespoons for garnish.
Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the bowl with the ground pistachios and whisk to combine.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1–2 minutes. Add the egg and orange zest and beat until evenly distributed.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 additions, mixing after each addition until just incorporated. Finish bringing the dough together with your hands, if needed.
Use a ½-ounce scoop, portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Press the tip of your thumb or the back of a wooden spoon into the center of each cookie to create a deep well, being careful not to press through the cookie entirely. Lightly cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for about 1 hour, until firm.
Arrange the racks in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Bake the cookies for 14–16 minutes, turning once halfway through, until puffed and golden on the bottoms. The thumbprints will lose some of their definition during baking, so use the back of a teaspoon measure to press into indentation immediately after removing from the oven, then let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
While the cookies cool, make the ganache: Add the chocolate to a medium bowl. Microwave the cream on medium power for 45–60 seconds, until just steaming. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for 1–2 minutes to give the chocolate time to melt. Add the corn syrup, if using, then whisk until completely smooth. Transfer the ganache to a piping bag or zip-top bag.
Once the cookies have cooled, pipe (or spoon) about 1½ teaspoons of ganache into each thumbprint. Alternatively, use a teaspoon to spoon the ganache onto the cookies. Garnish each cookie with the reserved pistachio flour or a single whole pistachio, if desired. Let the ganache set for about 30 minutes before serving.
I also used Sally’s Baking Addiction for the gingerbread!!!