FENNEL SHORTBREAD WITH PISTACHIO BUTTERCREAM
Cookie season is upon us! And I could not be more happy to share more cookies with the world! I have a ton of cookie recipes on my blog already that are fun and that I have developed meticulously over the years.
I have been a contributor to Bake from Scratch magazine a couple of times, and have been featured in their Holiday Cookie Issue in the past. It is always a joy because I am a huge fan of the magazine and all the baking love that it stands for. I was fortunate to meet Brian – who is the creator of the Bake from Scratch, in person a few years ago at an event, and he is a total joy to be with! So full of life, zeal and enthusiasm! I subscribe to the magazine too and have all the copies saved and tucked neatly in my closet.
I am so excited, as I have contributed 3 recipes this year to the Holiday Cookie Issue of the Bake from Scratch (You can get your copy too!) and they have graciously allowed me to share one recipe with YOU all here, on my blog. The recipe that I am going to share is truly a favorite and I hope you get to make it and try it. And share with your loved ones – because it is such a delicious cookie that you cannot get enough of just one!
It is a Toasted Fennel Shortbread with a Pistachio Buttercream in the middle. The cookie is made with the following ingredients:
- All purpose flour
- Cornstarch: It makes the cookie soft and so good to bite into.
- Salt: Always table salt to balance out the sweetness in the cookie.
- Toasted Fennel seeds: Fennel is used widely in Indian cooking and sweets, and toasted fennel takes a cookie to next level. I coarsely grind it in a mortar pestle for the best results.
- Unsalted butter: At room temperature always
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract: I add extra for extra flavor!
The cookie is eggless and super delicious by itself.
The filling is a pistachio buttercream that has a few ingredients:
- Unsalted butter
- Confectioner’s sugar: always powdered so that the buttercream is silky and smooth
- Salt: I always use table salt, again to balance out the sweetness
- Pistachio Cream: I use this brand that I get from Amazon. But I have heard that Costco carries a larger size. It is not available at our local Costco.
- Whole Milk : to bind it all together well
- Vanilla extract: Always to give it additional flavor.
The cookie is so simple to put together, and super elegant. I decorate it with coarsely chopped pistachios, along with white sanding sugar, which makes the cookie sparkle a little bit and make it feel festive!
Do the cookies store well for shipping to loved ones?
The cookies store well, and pack well if you want to ship them out to anyone. Be sure to ship it out the very next day after making them for maximum freshness.
The shortbread dough can be made about a week in advance (especially since it does not have any egg). It needs to be thawed outside on the kitchen counter, to be able to roll out the dough.
What tip to use for piping the buttercream in the middle?
I use the 1M tip to pipe buttercream in the middle. The 1M tip makes a beautiful rosette such that when you top it with the cookie with the hole in it, the buttercream peaks out a little bit. Making it look so pretty!
You can find 2 more of my cookie recipes in the magazine. Be sure to pick it up at your local Target/Costco/Grocery stories etc, or purchase it here. The magazine has some wonderful bakers that have shared their cookie recipes. The focus is to share cookie inspiration from all around the world. You will have lots to keep you busy this holiday season – for gifting and for sharing!
You can find many cookies from the previous years:
- Cookie box from 2021
- My Epic Holiday Cookie box from 2019, with all the cookie links
- Cookie box from 2018
Find lots of cookie inspiration on my blog! Hope you get to make tons of cookies for your loved ones, and package them, and spread the love and joy of this holiday season!
XO
Amisha
Fennel Shortbread with Pistachio buttercream
Ingredients
- Fennel Shortbread:
- 2 ¼ cups (294 g) all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (9 g) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon toasted and coarsely ground fennel seeds
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugars
- 2 sticks/1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Decoration:
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shelled and untoasted pistachios
- 2 to 3 tablespoons white sanding sugar
- Pistachio Buttercream:
- 1 stick/ ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons pistachio cream
- 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cup (195 g to 227 g) confectioner’s sugar
- 1 to 2 teaspoon whole milk
- Americolor Gel Avocado food color
- 2 inch round cutter
- ¾ inch round cutter
- 12 inch pastry bag
- 1M piping tip
Instructions
- Fennel Shortbread:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, ground fennel seeds and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Beat in
- vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating just until combined. Turn out dough onto a plastic wrap. Shape into a disc. Refrigerate for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough to 1⁄8 inch thick. Place the other half of the dough, wrapped in the plastic wrap, in the fridge, until ready to use. Using a 2-inch (5 cm) round cutter, cut dough, and place on the two prepared pans. Place the pans in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Combine the remaining pieces of dough, make a ball and place in the plastic wrap, shape into a disc and place it in the fridge to firm up again.
- Bake on lower and middle racks of the oven until lightly golden brown, about 13 to 15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cool on pans for 5 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
- With the other half of the dough, using a 2-inch (5 cm) round cutter, cut dough, and place on the two prepared pans. Using a ¾ inch round cutter, cut a hole in the cookies. Sprinkle the finely ground pistachios on all the cookies. Next sprinkle the white sanding sugar on all the cookies. Press very gently to adhere.
- Place the pans in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Combine the remaining pieces of dough, make a ball and place in the plastic wrap, shape into a disc and place it in the fridge to firm up again.
- Bake on lower and middle racks of the oven until lightly golden brown, about 12 to 14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cool on pans for 5 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
- Repeat the process to make more of the base cookie and the top cookie, making sure to freeze the pan with the cookies for 10 minutes before baking, to ensure minimal change in shape.
- Pistachio Buttercream:
- In a medium to large mixing bowl, add the butter, salt and vanilla extract. Using a rubber spatula, mix vigorously for a minute, until the butter is light and fluffy. Add the pistachio paste and mix again until combined. Add the confectioner’s sugar and milk, and mix again until completely combined. Add a drop of the green food color to enhance the pale green buttercream. Make sure that the buttercream is not too soft. If soft, add ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar at a time, until it is firm, yet pliable.
- Put the buttercream into a 12 inch pastry bag fitted with a 1M piping tip.
- Invert the whole cookie. Pipe the buttercream onto the cookie, leaving a ¼ inch border, allowing for the buttercream to spread, once the cookie is covered with the top cookie.
- Place the top cookie onto the buttercream and gently press, to flatten the cookie.
- Repeat with the remaining cookies.
- *Note: * Cookies can be placed in an airtight container, in a cool place, for up to a week.
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