This week’s recipe is a little indulgent but there is nothing wrong with an occasional treat, right? I had a hankering for something nutty so I made a tray of irresistible eggless pistachio cookies with chocolate chips and they were an instant hit!
These eggless pistachio cookies are easy to make but very hard to resist, I warn you! The good news is that if you want to pace yourself or save these eggless pistachio cookies for a special treat, you can make the entire batch and freeze the cookie dough balls you don’t want to be tempted by before baking. I have done that a few times and then when I have absolutely nothing treat-like in my house but a massive hankering for it, I suddenly remember that I have some eggless pistachio dough balls in my freezer and I can have a delicious cookie right in front of me almost without lifting a finger – absolutely godsend!
These eggless pistachio cookies are a nuttier version of a humble chocolate chip cookie. To give them this nutty, pistachio flour, I incorporated some pistachio butter into the dough itself. I also added little pops of pistachio butter to the cookies’ surface just before baking so that they get transformed into lush pools of nuttiness in the heat of the oven. I also folded roughly chopped pistachios into the dough for some crunch. Pistachios go superbly well with chocolate so I added generous chunks of extra dark chocolate to these cookies too. While chocolate would also work, but vegan white chocolate is harder to find than regular chocolate.
These nutty eggless pistachio cookies have been a hit in my house and I hope they will become a hit at yours too. Happy baking!!!
MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
GROUND FLAX: Ground flax mixed in with plant milk is what is used to replace eggs in this recipe. Instead of just activating the flax and adding it to the batter, I whip it with an electric whisk until thick and gooey, a bit like an egg white. It works a treat!
SOY MILK: I tend to use protein rich soy milk (in combination with ground flax) to mimic an egg. You can use a different plan milk if you are allergic or if that’s your preference – I am pretty sure all of them will work.
VEGAN BUTTER: I used melted vegan butter as the main source of fat in this recipe. I used the vegan butter block by Flora, but any unsalted vegan butter (that comes in a block, not the one in a tub) will work well. Naturli is my favourite brand.
SUGAR: I used a couple of sugars in this recipe. Caster sugar, which is simply superfine white sugar as it melts quickly and doesn’t leave that grittiness behind and the same amount of dark muscovado sugar. Muscovado sugar contributes a lot of flavour and also helps with the chewy interior of these cookies. I used dark muscovado, but light muscovado will work well too.
PISTACHIO BUTTER: Pistachios are having their moment so finding a jar of pistachio butter is easier these day, but it is also very easy to make it yourself. Toast 2 cups (250 g) of shelled pistachio gently, cool, then use a food processor to tyrnAdding pistachio butter directly to the cookie dough itself turns the cookie dough into an irresistible nutty that you’ll want to eat by the spoon! I also added small dollops of pistachio butter on top of each cookies just before baking, which turn into delicious, molten pools of pistachio butter once baked.
BAKING AGENTS: A touch of both baking soda and baking powder give these cookies a gentle lift without making them cakey.
FLOUR: Plain wheat flour is what I used to make these eggless pistachio cookies. If you wanted to make these gluten-free, use this GF flour mix or a similar one that contains a good portion of binding starches.
DARK CHOCOLATE: Chocolate and pistachios are such a good match, I used chunks of dark chocolate in these eggless pistachio cookies. While the cookies bake the chunks transform into pools of molten chocolate. You can, of course, use good quality chocolate chips instead but I personally love big irregularly shaped chunks in my cookies so that’s why I used a bar of chocolate.
PISTACHIOS: I added some roughly chopped pistachio nuts to the cookie dough for another texture and sprinkled some on top of the cookies too for looks.
HOW TO MAKE IT?
1) WHISK FLAX EGG AND SUGARS
Combine ground flax and plant milk in a large mixing bowl and let it get all thick and gooey (about 20 minutes). While you are waiting for your flax, melt the butter over low heat and allow it to cool. Once the butter is cook and the flax is activated, whisk activated (i.e. gloopy) flax and both sugars for about 3 minutes, until thick and bubbly.
2) ADD MELTED BUTTER & PISTACHIO BUTTER
Add melted (but cooled) butter, pistachio butter and vanilla. Stir well, until the mixture is completely homogenous.
3) FOLD IN FLOUR
Next fold in (or whisk on a low speed) flour, salt and both baking agents.
4) ADD MIX-INS
Fold most of the chocolate chunks and chopped pistachios (leave some for decoration).
5) SCOOP & CHILL
Scoop the mixture out onto a baking tray. I used a large (¼ cup) ice-cream scoop to make 10 cookies. You can also use scales and roll the mixture between the palms of your hands to make 10 large or 12 smaller cookies. Pop leftover chocolate and pistachios on top of each cookie. Refrigerate overnight or freeze for an hour before baking.
6) BAKE & COOK
Just before baking make a hole in each cookie, using the thick end of a chopstick or a finger, and pool some pistachio butter into that hole. Bake for 12-14 minutes in total, taking the tray out at half time and banging it forcefully against the kitchen counter so that the cookies spread nicely and develop delicious cracks.
- 8 g / 4 tsp ground flax (I use golden flax)
- 60 ml / ¼ cup soy milk (or other plant milk)
- 120 g / 4.2 oz vegan butter block (I used Flora)
- 100 g / packed ½ cup dark muscovado sugar
- 100g / ½ cup caster (superfine) sugar
- 80 g / 1/3 cup pistachio butter*, more to garnish
- 10 ml / 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 190 g / 1½ cups plain flour (or a good GF flour mix)
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 60 g / 2 oz coarsely chopped pistachios
- 100 g / 3.5 oz vegan chocolate
- Combine ground flax with soy milk in a large mixing bowl, let it stand until thickened (about 20 minutes).
- Gently melt vegan butter. Once melted let it cool down completely.
- Once flax has become activated and your melted butter is cook, add both sugars to the thickened flax mixture.
- Using electric whisk, whip thickened flax and both sugars for about 3 minutes – until thickened and bubbly.
- Pour in cooled melted butter, pistachio butter and vanilla. Stir gently to combine.
- Combine flour, salt and both baking agents in a separate bowl. Stir well. Fold these dry ingredients into the wet ones ion three batches. Stir well to combine.
- Incorporate three quarters of the chopped pistachios and chocolate chunks to the cookie dough by folding them in gently. Keep the rest for decoration.
- Using an ice-cream scoop (or a spoon and scales), shape cookie batter into balls. I used a large cookie scoop (4 tbsp / ¼ cup scoop) to make 10 cookies. Pop a chunk of chocolate and chopped pistachios on top.
- Arrange shaped cookies on a paper lined baking tray, place prepped cookies in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for 1 hour.
- Just before baking, make a small hole in each cookie with the end of your chopstick or your finger and fill that hole with pistachio butter for extra yumminess.
- Preheat the oven to 180° C / 355° F and once ready, bake each tray for about 6 minutes. After 6 minutes, bang the tray against the countertop a few times, rotate the tray and return to the oven for another 5-7 minutes depending on size.
- Once the cookies are out of the oven, bang the tray against the countertop a couple more times or, if the cookies have spread too much, use a large cookie ring or a knife to push the edges in ever so slightly.
- Allow the cookies to set for 10 minutes, then transfer to a drying rack to cool completely.
- Store in an air-tight container away from moisture, they should keep for at least a week. You can also freeze them in an air-tight container, before or after baking.
*PISTACHIO BUTTER: you can make your own by toasting 2 cups (250 g) of shelled pistachios in a 180° C / 355° F oven for about 8-10 minutes, until lightly toasted. Allow the pistachios to cool fully, then transfer to a food processor and process until they transform into a nut butter. You may want to add a teaspoon of neutral oil (I like coconut oil) if your pistachio butter looks dry.