Easy Pistachio Leaf Sandwich Cookies

Total: 3 hr 45 min (includes chilling and cooling times)
Active: 1 hr

Discover the magic of Molly's tribute to classic Italian bakery green pistachio treats! These crisp, buttery, delicate cookies burst with flavor, featuring a touch of bittersweet chocolate in the middleperfect for grabbing by the handful. And they're in Molly's favorite color: vibrant green! Whip them up and let the festive baking begin.

Ingredients

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks/225 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
Green gel food coloring, such as moss or olive
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup roasted pistachios, very finely ground in a food processor
Zest of 1 lemon
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons unrefined coconut oil

Special equipment:
a 2-inch leaf-shaped cookie cutter

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and a few drops of green food coloring on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg and mix to combine. Then mix in the vanilla and almond extracts, pistachios and lemon zest. Add the flour mixture and mix on medium-low until just incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Pat the dough into a disc and wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Arrange an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly dust a clean work surface and rolling pin with flour. Working with half of the dough at a time (wrap and keep the other half refrigerated while you work), roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Using a 2-inch leaf-shaped cookie cutter, cut out a total of about 50 leaves, placing them on a baking sheet 1 inch apart. This is a very soft dough (which is what makes the end results so tasty), so expect to be dusting it with a generous amount of flour. If the dough scraps are too soft to re-roll, press them back into a disc and chill for another 20 minutes or so to firm back up. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough.
Bake in the oven, in batches, until set and lightly golden on the bottom; start checking for doneness at 8 minutes. Let cool on the pans.
In a heat-safe bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and coconut oil. Spread a thin layer of chocolate on the flat side of one cookie and sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with the remaining cookies and let set in the fridge or at room temperature. Enjoy!

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