Lemon and Pistachio Cookies
Middle Eastern Ma’akaroon have nothing to do with French macarons. Traditionally, these cookies are made from semolina, olive oil and aniseed and are deep-fried before being drenched in sugar syrup, but this recipe takes a slightly healthier—but still very buttery—route.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pistachios finely ground
- 1¼ cups almond flour
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ tsp mastic ground
- ¼ tsp baking powder heaping
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp finely chopped preserved lemon
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- 1 egg lightly whisked
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2-3 tbsp icing sugar sifted
Instructions
- Put ground pistachios, almond flour, granulated sugar, mastic, baking powder and salt into large bowl and mix just enough to combine everything together. Add preserved lemon, lemon zest, vanilla bean paste, honey, egg and butter and give everything a good stir. The mixture should be slightly sticky.
- Roll batter into walnut-size balls, about 1 oz (30 g) each. Place icing sugar on large plate and gently roll balls in it, making sure they are well coated on all sides. Arrange balls, evenly spaced out, on large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover baking sheet with a tea towel and leave in fridge for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F. Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until they start to get a bit of colour. Leave to cool completely before serving.
Notes
Tip: Once the dough has been rolled into balls, they can be kept in an airtight container in the freezer for a few weeks. Once baked, the cookies will keep in an airtight container for 5 days.