Pistachio Pinwheels

Cookies are where I thrive; I probably understand the science and production of baking cookies better than any other realm of desserts. When I started getting more serious about holiday cookies, I gained a better understanding of roll cookies because many of the recipes require a rolled dough. This Pistachio Pinwheels recipe, however, is one you can make any time of the year. I was especially hopeful about this one because I had a feeling my husband would love it.

The reason this recipe was fun for me to bake is because I got to use my new food processor for the first time! Food processors always seemed intimidating when I was younger. I remember watching TV personalities struggle with them in cooking demonstrations, but it turned out to be such a simple, convenient process. The best part is you basically make the entire dough in the food processor, so there aren't too many dishes when you're done.

In terms of ingredients, I got to use almond flour for the first time. Compared to all-purpose flour, almond flour is much more crumbly, but it has (no surprise) a nutty, fresh smell that I really like. I would not skimp on this ingredient; it really did bring out a nutty flavor in the end result. I had to order the Demerara sugar online, as I could not find this kind in the grocery store; I went back and forth at the grocery store on whether pure cane or Turbinado sugar were any different. Pure cane is less processed than your typical granulated white sugar. Turbinado and Demerara sugars are similar to each other, but Turbinado tastes more like caramel while Demerara has more of a molasses flavor. Going the extra mile to get Demerara for this recipe is worth it.

The only thing I was somewhat disappointed with in this recipe was the green pistachio color. Mine did not look as vibrant as the photo in Dessert Person. I purchased shelled pistachios, but after further research I don't think the ones I bought were blanched. By blanching them, it would have removed the thin layer over them that often looks purple and brown. I'm not sure any of my options at the grocery store were blanched now that I think back to it. This is the only thing I would change next time I make the recipe.

The hardest part of this recipe is the rolling process. It's important to roll it slowly; I had several instances where my dough was starting to crack, so taking the time to close those seams as you go will impact how your pistachio swirl turns out. Letting the dough chill for an hour afterwards will make it extremely easy to cut precise cookies for the baking sheets. Claire said you can get 32 cookies out of your dough, but I got about 26. I probably could have cut some of my slices a little thinner to get more cookies. Another nice part of this recipe is you can bake two sheets of cookies at once, since it's recommended to move your baking racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven. My cookies took about 20 minutes to get golden brown.

These pistachio pinwheels are absolutely delicious. As I mentioned earlier, the almond flour brings out a nutty flavor that parallels the pistachio swirl. The Demerara sugar edge finished it off with the right amount of sweetness. This cookie reminded me a bit of a Milano or biscotti cookie; it would be great with coffee or tea. Also if you need a sugar cookie recipe, you could easily use this dough recipe minus the pistachio part, and then use a glaze recipe that includes almond extract. As I hoped, my husband really liked the Pistachio Pinwheels. He suggested adding a frosting to these cookies and topping it with a pistachio to take the sweetness further, which I might try next time. However, he has walked out of the kitchen numerous times crunching on one of these cookies, so I think it's safe to say these are a hit!

If Claire makes Pistachio Pinwheels on her YouTube channel I'll share it!