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Sugar High Friday is one of my favourite events and yet I always seem to miss the opportunity to participate. However, when I saw that my Helene was hosting this month’s edition and that the theme she’d chosen was Citrus, I just had to make time!

I contemplated a number of very complicated desserts but instead settled on a simple cookie that is perfect for a tea party because to me, the spring is the perfect time for a tea party. The original recipe for these lovely little bites is from Issue 22 of the Donna Hay Magazine.

Called Pistachio and Lemon Bites, the cookies are very similar to other butter and nut-based cookies like Mexican Wedding Cakes. But these have a lovely lemony flavour and scent as well as a very appealing colour thanks to the pistachios.

I made these cookies over a week ago and I kept thinking about how to present them in this post. I tried to come up with some interesting angles but in the end I decided that there’s not much to say beyond this: Just as Helene provides so much light and flavour and enjoyment with her blog and baking, so do these cookies provide the perfect taste of butter, nuts and lemon.

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Just enjoy them.

Ciao!

Pistachio and Lemon Bites
From Issue 22 of Donna Hay Magazine.

Note: This recipe makes about 30 cookies. The original recipe made a very dry and crumbly dough so I tweaked it a bit.

12 tbsp. unsalted butter (1-1/2 sticks of butter), at room temperature
3 tbsp. superfine sugar (also called fruit sugar)
1/2 cup pistachios (shelled and unsalted), chopped (not too finely)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. finely grated lemon rind
icing sugar (for dusting)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment) and mix on high speed until very light and fluffy (5 minutes).

Add the pistachios and vanilla extract and mix on high speed for an additional 2 minutes.

Add the flour and lemon rind and mix on low speed until the dough begins to come together.

Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and place on the baking sheets.

Bake for 15 minutes. The cookies should be lightly golden. If not, bake for a few minutes more.

Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes before rolling in icing sugar.

Enjoy!

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