Baker Bleu’s Pistachio, White Chocolate & Cherry Cookie Recipe

by High Tea Society on March 11, 2024

Menu item

Serves 20 cookies

Prep time

20m

Cook Time

10m

Embark on a journey of flavour and texture with Baker Bleu’s Pistachio, White Chocolate & Cherry Cookie recipe.

Baker Bleu (Bake it till you make it) is a new cookbook with 70 recipes by Mike Russell with Emma Breheny.

This recipe is inspired by the exceptional quality of pistachios sourced from Eric Wright at Go Just Nuts, a farm nestled in the sun-soaked fields of Mildura, these cookies are a testament to the artistry of baking and the joy of using premium ingredients.

These cookies showcase the vibrant green hues of the brined pistachios, the creamy sweetness of white chocolate, and the tartness of cherries. Baker Bleu’s recipe celebrates the natural goodness of each ingredient, allowing them to shine harmoniously in every mouthful.

Images and text from Baker Bleu by Mike Russell, photography by Parker Blain. Murdoch Books RRP $49.99.

Ingredients:

220 g (7 ¾ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
80 g (2 ¾ oz) rye flour
5 g (⅛ oz) baking powder
8 g (¼ oz) bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
8 g (¼ oz) fine salt
135 g (4 ¾ oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
105 g (3 ¾ oz) pistachio paste (see note)
265 g (9 ½ oz) soft brown sugar
65 g (2 ½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
65 g (2 ½ oz) eggs (about 1 ½)
40 g (1 ½ oz) egg yolks (from about 2 ½ eggs)
95 g (3 ¼ oz) white chocolate, roughly chopped
95 g (3 ¼ oz) dried cherries, roughly chopped
195 g (7 oz) shelled unsalted pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

NOTE

Pistachio paste should be 100 per cent pure pistachio butter. Read the ingredients list carefully. It can be bought from health food shops or specialist baking shops.

Method

Place the flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl and combine with a whisk. Set aside.
Place the butter, pistachio paste, brown sugar and caster sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the ingredients on medium speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
Switch to low speed and add the whole eggs and yolks in two batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl and making sure the first batch is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix until all the egg is incorporated.
Add the bowl of dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.
Add the white chocolate, cherries and 95 g (3 ¼ oz) of the pistachios and mix briefly until evenly distributed.
Use a spoon or quarter-cup to scoop out pieces of the cookie dough approximately 60 g (2 ¼ oz) in weight. Roll each piece into a ball, then press to flatten into discs.
Place the discs on baking trays or in a proofing tray lined with baking paper and cover with a tea towel or a lid, then refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to rest.
Half an hour before baking, heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and spread the remaining 100 g (3½ oz) of chopped pistachios onto a plate or baking sheet.
Remove the cookies from the fridge 10 minutes before baking. Press one side of each cookie into the chopped pistachios, then place the cookies onto a baking tray lined with baking paper (you may need a few trays) about 5 cm (2 inches) apart, with the nuts facing up.
Bake for 7 minutes, at which point remove the trays from the oven and gently tap them on a bench before placing them back in the oven for a final 3 minutes or so until the cookies are browned around the edges. (The tapping will give you nice flat cookies with a chewy texture.)
Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the trays for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cookies will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for 3–4 days.