My pistachio cornmeal butter cookie recipe is for an authentic Italian cookie that was passed on to me years ago. It’s perfect for dipping in your coffee or just a snack with a glass of milk.
I have to warn you that these cookies are addictive and you may find yourself eating a plateful before you even notice they’re gone!
What ingredients so I need to make Pistachio Cornmeal Butter Cookies?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Italian Pistachio Cornmeal Butter Cookies. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
How do I make Pistachio Cornmeal Cookies?
- Add the pistachios to the bowl of your food processor.
- Pulse the pistachios until some are finely ground but you still have some pieces.
- Add the flour, corn meal, sugar, and salt and pulse until well blended
- Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients in the food proceesor bowl.
- Pulse until fully incorporated into the dry ingredients (scrape down the side of the bowl to make sure it gets fully blended)
- Add the eggs yolks and vanilla to the mixture.
- Pulse briefly until the dough forms on the blade.
- Dump the dough onto counter.
- Form the dough into a log and wrap it in plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. Overnight is fine
- Slice the dough into ¼ inch circles and place on buttered cookie sheet (or parchment paper)
- Place the cookies into a 350 degree preheated oven.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cookies are firm and golden, with a touch of brown on the outer edges.
- Allow the pistachio cornmeal butter cookies to cool completely on a wire rack
Those buttery sandy salty-sweet cookies will always take me back to my time with Mama Jeanette and I’m grateful for all the lessons learned in her kitchen and especially for these delicious cookies.
I promise these cookies will not dissapoint and your friends and family will beg you to make more.
Recipe FAQ’s
Shortbread cookies have a higher ration of butter to flour than butter cookies. Butter cookies still have a high proportion of butter, but the amount of flour and sugar is higher, which means they hold their shape better than a shortbread cookie.
Polenta and cornmeal are very close to being the same ingredient, except for one thing, the consistency of the grain. Polenta is more coarsely ground than cormeal, which it allows it to have a less mushy consistency when cooked.
The most common reason that butter cookies are tough or hard is that the cookie dough was over mixed. When the flour is mixed into the dough, the gluten begins to form. While gluten helps hold baked goods together, too much gluten (which happens when you over mix the dough) can lead to tough cookies.
If you think you overmixed the cookie dough, let it rest for 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
More Cookie Recipes for you to enjoy:
Pistachio Cornmeal Butter Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted pistachios * chopped in food processor leave some pieces
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup cornmeal recipe called for medium grind polenta
- ⅔ cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- 12 tablespoon unsalted butter (6 ounces) softened
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Add the pistachios to the bowl of your food processor.
- Pulse the pistachios until some are finely ground but you still have some pieces.
- Add the flour, corn meal, sugar, and salt and pulse until well blended
- Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients in the bowl of the food proceesor.
- Pulse until fully incorporated into the dry ingredients (scrape down the side of the bowl to make sure it gets fully blended).
- Add the eggs yolks and vanilla to the mixture. Pulse briefly until the dough forms on the blade.
- Dump the dough onto the counter and form the dough into a log.
- Wrap the log in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. (Overnight is fine)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Slice the dough into ¼ inch circles and place on a buttered cookie sheet (or parchment paper covered cookie sheet)
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cookies are firm and golden, with a touch of brown on the outer edges.
- Allow the pistachio cornmeal butter cookies to cool completely on a wire rack
sonia
Wow…the cookies are looking so soft and irresistible! And adding some pistachio to the mix makes it all togther more wholesome combo. Regards, Sonia
Kim Bee
These are lovely cookies Dennis. You know I have a huge love affair with pistachios.
myfudo
I love cookies with a lot of history. Makes it all the more special. Love to whip some of these treats!
Kimby
Chef Dennis, I love stories (and cookies) with substance. This post was satisfying on both accounts!
Jen
Those are the best memories! I still think of my grandmother and her apple pie each and every single time I bake one.
Betty Ann @Mango_Queen
Your photos look gorgeous, so I’m sure these cornmeal cookies are just as delicious! I’ve never had cornmeal in cookies, but now you make me want to try it. Looks like a short-bread type of cookie and if so, it’s my kind of cookie! Thanks for sharing, Chef Dennis!
Heidi
Cornmeal & pistachios are a couple of my favorite things…. definitely hitting my “must try” pile. Thanks for the memory, I enjoy your blog tremendously.
The Mom Chef ~ Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time
I’m so glad you’ve gone back to sharing some Mama Jeannette stories! I’m not surprised you ended up eating an entire plate of those; they look delicious. No, I’ve never tried a cornmeal cookie, but I have a feeling that’s going to change soon. Have a great week, Chef. I miss seeing you around.
Nandita
This is indeed a great recipe. Loved the combination of pistachios and cornmeal. These cookies look absolutely delectable 🙂
Lola Velasco
Muy ricas y apetecibles tus galletas, deben ser deliciosas y tú seguro que le darás un toque magistral.
¡Saludos!
Anna
I would love to try these cookies, as I often long for the sandy type. The addition of pistachios make them extra tempting. Yum!
JTwisdom
These cookies look delish with a glass of ice cold milk or hot tea. Gotta try this recipe.
Jeanette
Love these food memories Chef Dennis and how you tried to recreate these memorable cookies using pistachios. I’ve never tried baking with pistachio meal, but I bet it adds some nice flavor to these sandy cookies.
Brian @ A Thought For Food
I have a soft spot for pistachios… and while I am happy to eat them on their own, there is something so brilliant about baking with them. Cookies, ice cream, cake… I’ll take it however I can get it.
Terra
Oh wow, I have never had a cornmeal cookie, but I must try one VERY soon! These cookies sound like a light, buttery cookie:-) Yum! Take care, Terra