Sicilian Pistachio Cookies (Biscotti al Pistacchio)

Charming bite-sized, powder-coated Sicilian pistachio cookies, biscotti al pistacchio, inspired by a visit to Mona Talbott's kitchen and the Rome Sustainable Food Project at the American Academy in Rome.

Sicilian Pistachio Cookies (Biscotti al Pistacchio)

My discovery of these perfect little pistachio cookies happened in a roundabout way. It was 11:30 a.m. on one of my last mornings in Rome. I found myself walking down the Janiculum Hill toward the Trastevere section of the city below. The view is expansive, and I would stop now and then to pick out buildings and landmarks, or take the occasional snapshot. My bag was heavy, and a glance inside revealed a just-picked pomegranate, two books and a kraft-paper bag filled with a toasty pepita and amaranth-flecked granola. I spent the morning visiting Mona Talbott at the American Academy in Rome, and I'm sure it is no surprise to those of you who know Mona or her work - it was one of the most inspiring mornings I've had in a long time. And it introduced me to this special little cookie.
small pistachio cookies on marble counter

The American Academy in Rome weaves itself into my life now and then. Years back, when I would help research potential speakers for TED, I would regularly spend time exploring the work of Rome Prize winners. Prior to that, I fell for this delightful little "insider" guidebook of must-visit places in Rome. It was compiled from the collective knowledge of many academy fellows and friends - a mix of writers, architects, designers, scholars, and the like. My copy is nearly ten years old, and it's the one book we still bring along whenever we pass through Rome.

There are some inspiring things going on at the Academy. One of which is the Rome Sustainable Food Project. You can read about it in more depth here and here. In a nutshell, it's one of the few places I've encountered where institutional dining is not only worth celebrating, but worth emulating as well. Alice Waters and Mona Talbott have been successful in working within the academy to create a meaningful food culture meant to nourish and support individual well-being, scholarship, and conviviality. My experience has been that institutional dining has much need for improvement. Inspiration is much needed, and it was great to encounter a fresh point of view far from home.

Actually! Come to think of it, another inspiring example of food being integrated into the fabric of an institution is at the Oxbow School in Napa, California. Their school lunch, under chef Tracy Bates, sets the bar. There's still no place I'd rather have lunch in Napa — alongside the kids, overlooking the river. And I don't think it's any coincidence that Mona and Tracy are friends, or that both of them are Chez Panisse alumni.
small pistachio cookies on marble counter
Mona showed me the kitchen at the Academy, and the gardens, and the spot on the lawn where Galileo first demonstrated his telescope in Rome. The Academy occupies the highest point inside the walls of historic Rome. Elizabeth Minchilli joined us, I met the other academy cooks, had a perfect macchiato, and tasted a spicy little gem of a cookie baked by Mirella Misenti.
small pistachio cookies (biscotti) on marble counter

Mirella's story is fascinating in it's own right. She was the dishwasher at the academy. She now spearheads pastry and has co-authored Biscotti with Mona. It's the just-published first book in a series of tiny, thoughtful books that we will see come out of the Rome Sustainable Food Project. It sounds like there there will be a volume on pasta, one on soup, and so on.

I baked Mirella's Sicilian pistachio cookies as soon as I got home. They look snow-dusted from a distance, but reveal dense, pistachio-green crumb. They're made from a haul of the best pistachios you can get your hands on, ground into a pistachio meal, and baked into the perfect little bite. I include the recipe down below and I'm hard-pressed to think of a better way to wrap up a three-week trip. Thank you Mona!

a pile of pistachio nuts
Above you see the pistachios as they were purchased. Below you can see them starting to get ground down into a meal. The pistachios take the place of flour in many other cookie recipes, and here it results in a rich, flavorful biscotti.

a pile of pistachio nuts

Related links:

  • Update! If you’re in the Hudson Valley, visit Mona at Talbott & Arding
  • If you're interested in having lunch at the academy, or if you just want to be more involved, there is a way to do it. Friends of the AAR have the ability to enjoy lunch at the American Academy in Rome with up to ten guests, by reservation. You also get the e-newsletter, and invitations to select AAR events. If you spend more time in Rome, or live there, some of the other options might appeal to you as well.
  • American Academy in Rome on Instagram & their Facebook page.
  • Biscotti: Recipes from the Kitchen of The American Academy in Rome, The Rome Sustainable Food Project.
  • Mona was featured in Coco: 10 World-Leading Masters Choose 100 Contemporary Chefs

small balls of cookie dough arranged on a parchment-lined baking sheet
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Sicilian Pistachio Cookies (Biscotti al Pistacchio)

5 from 5 votes

If you have access to beautiful Sicilian pistachios, definitely use them. They’re wonderful. That said, I know 500g of any type of pistachios can be spendy. If you’re running low on pistachios, swap in almond meal. I should also note, the first time I baked these I only had salted / lightly toasted pistachios on hand. Don't worry if you're in the same boat, the cookies are still delicious, but taste a bit more hearty and rustic. If you use raw, skinless pistachios you end up with an extra-vibrant green cookie underneath the powdered coating. Lastly, I like to make a portion of my cookies extra tiny. For itty-bitty cookies, form not much more than a teaspoon of dough (1/4 oz / 6-8 g) into balls. Scale back the baking time to 8 - 10 minutes.

Ingredients
  • 4 1/3 cups / 500 g raw pistachios
  • 1 cup / 200 g granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
  • scant 1/2 cup egg whites / 3 1/2 oz - from 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar, for coating cookies
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.
  2. Pulse the pistachios in a food processor with 1/2 cup / 100 g of the granulated sugar until the nuts are finely chopped. I tend to pulse the nuts until they're the texture of chunky, gravelly sand / lightly pebbled. A bit rustic. You can go finer if you like, but be mindful and avoid turning it into pistachio butter.
  3. Combine the ground pistachio-sugar mixture with the honey, vanilla, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Slowly add the egg white, mixing until the dough is well combined and soft. At this point, add the rest of the granulated sugar and mix gently.
  4. Form the dough into small balls, about 1 tablespoon each. Roll them in the confectioners' sugar to coat well. Transfer the balls to cookies sheets lined with parchment paper, leaving at least an inch between each cookie.
  5. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the edges of each cookie are golden. Transfer to a cooling rack. These cookies can be stores in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
Notes

Makes about 50 cookies.

Adapted from the Biscotti al Pistacchio recipe in Biscotti: Recipes from the Kitchen of The American Academy in Rome, The Rome Sustainable Food Project.

Serves
48
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 
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5 from 5 votes (3 ratings without comment)
Recipe Rating




Comments

another winner, heidi. we are devoted to your triple ginger cookies and now these are coming in as a family favorite, too.. i loved preparing it all in the food processor. the kitchen smelled heavenly. thank you!5 stars

jude

    Love hearing it Jude!

    Heidi Swanson

Can the lemon zest be left out?

mayapapaya

    You could certainly play around with that component. You could leave it out, or experiment with another citrus zest like orange or makrut lime.

    Heidi Swanson

Has anyone tried making this with an egg white sub like aqua faba or something else?5 stars

Kim Carlyle

    Hi Kim – I haven’t tried it, but if anyone does, please leave a comment.

    Heidi Swanson

mille grazie for this recipe…they were the perfect treat for my gluten-intolerant Mom-in-law. I made a batch with pistachios, and then another with hazelnuts. Tutti e due erano delizioso!!

Lorraine

I made these this weekend with friends. Very lovely. The tiny cookies are perfect because of their richness. Will be making again, but next time, I’ll cut back on the lemon zest.

Andrea @ Fork Fingers Chopsticks

Made these today and they were ridiculously easy to make and turned out prefect! The only pain was the $20 worth of pistachios I bought but everything else I already had on hand so the $20 really isn’t that bad. Do you think you could make these with almonds? or pecans? I know the taste would change but I wonder if that would be a good substitute. Thanks for another great recipe!

Michelle

These were dangerously delicious and absolutely SIMPLE to make!!

Heather

Hi Heidi, I made these today after reading your blog and decided to blog about them on my own site. They turned out wonderfully. I made the itty bitty version and found I still had to bake them for 15-18 minutes for them to cook all the way. Great recipe though – super easy. And I will be going to the Innocenti biscotti place you mentioned on another post on our trip to Rome in a few weeks too!

Brenda

Oooh I love pistachios- this looks like a yummy cookie. Thanks for sharing yet another inspiring recipe.

The Bounty Hunter

Mmmm 🙂 soo good! My husband loved them so much he finally stopped hitting me! 🙂

Ellen

Saw the recipe, had to make it. Pistachios being $14 per pound, that’s the only down side to this recipe. Everyone tries to guess what’s in the cookie, and I haven’t had a person not fall in love with it yet. Also did Chocolate Puddle recipe for a work event, they literally flew off the table. Still plan on trying the savory/sweet olive biscuits…..enjoy your blog and your food sensibilities.

Catherine

These gorgeous little biscotti have just come out of the oven and they smell divine. I can’t wait to dig in! Thinking I’ll have one with a bowl of chocolate gelato after dinner… very naughty!

Ang

One of the many (many, many) things I love about Italian cooking and food is the frequent use of pistachios. They add such interesting and unique flavor that I always want to come back for more.

Anna @ FrugalGal.or

Ooh these do look amazing! They would make such a great holiday treat.

Caitlin @ Amuse-bouche

I love anything pistachio! I can’t wait to make these. Thanks for sharing!

Pooja

Sometimes I wish I had your life, but heck, mostly I wish I had mine. I agree with the “anything pistachio”. and these sound great. I’m into ice cream myself, and yesterday I had a daydream about a bag of pistachios and my maker (ice cream, that is). I have a friend who did a stint at the AAR, and he is a foodie based strictly on his own simple desires, and an Italophile of the first order. His memories of the food there must be pre-sustainability project, but it all makes me want to get to ROMA!

Arthur

It is so nice of you to tell us about your travels. I love to hear about all the fun you had and what you have learned. I also, like the new recipes that you share with us. This is always a nice place to visit.

Heather

I am all over pistachio anything, much less biscotti. Thanks for a great idea!!!

Rocky Mountain Woman

Thank you Heidi for mentioning of this great little book, bought it over the weekend and cant wait to start experimenting, love the short stories too…..happy cooking

Sonja

Heidi, I only saw this post today, since I was in Torino all week long for Slow Food’s Salone del Gusto. Thank you so much for promoting the Academy, the RSFP and the Friends of the Academy. I hope to see you soon.
FYI: I made a big batch of the Hazelnut Butter Cookies, and they were fantastic!

Elizabeth Minchilli

Absolutely delicious! I only had salted pistachios at home, but the contrast with the slightly caramelised sugar coating was well worth the time spent shelling the pistachios! Thank you for sharing.

Vicki

Thanks for bringing back fond memories of visiting with a friend @ American Academy in the mid 70’s… I was there between xmas & New Year’s so got to have dinner there xmas eve & party on New Year’s eve (people were throwing glasses off the roof!). I had my first real tortellini in brodo there and have loved it ever since. At the time, I was impressed with how much better the food was there than @ my home university (where my parents “tasted” food in the cafeteria & immediately bought be my own mini frig!)… these cookies look great. They look like a pistachio version of an amaretti.

Robin

I am pretty sure if I made these for my momma, I could get in the lead as favourite child. Beautiful!

Meghan (Making Love In The Kitchen)

I made these as well and they were divine, I couldn’t stop eating them. They were deliciously chewing and looked great. I used pure icing sugar to coat them so they were still white and crackly in appearance (the icing sugar didn’t melt away). I also just mixed the egg white, honey, sugar, vanilla and lemon rind together first and then added the pistacio/sugar mixture to that – it seemed easier and it worked.

Diana

ohh…i loooove pistachios. this looks amazing.

amanda@seegirlcook

I made them!! And they are very tasty. I reduced the sugar just a bit because I like things to be less sweet. Only problem I had is that the powdered sugar all melted into the cookies while they baked and when they came out they looked like little meatballs. Not the prettiest but they taste great, with just that hint of lemon zest, like a macaroon only better.

Judith

How many lemons will it take to produce 1-1/2 tablespoons of the zest? Thank you.

New Cook

Welcome back Heidi! The cookies look really yummy! Love all the photos and links in your post…Thanks

Ellie

I love anything that has pistacchio in it. I can not wait to make these. They look like little bite size pieces of heaven.

Cassy

Heidi – You’re just amazing and inspiring. Thanks for the wonderful photos and super nuggets of info. Kathy – thanks for the substitution ideas, not doing eggs and wondering if flax sees would fly :o)

NYCSwede

These look divine. Yum! Thanks for all the lovely links about the Rome Sustainable Food Project – sounds brillaint!
Heidi xo

Heidi - apples under my bed

I will try your cookies. I love your stories and account of your trip. I have published a book with few desserts on it. Love to bake. So this pistacdhio cookies sounds like a winner to me. My husband loves pistacchios. thanks

maria

I love Italian cookies, and good recipes for them are hard to come by. I can tell that this is the real thing, and can hardly wait to make them. Unfortunately, raw pistachios are hard to find, and even the roasted, salted ones are very dear in the midwest. If this recipe is typical of the Biscotti book, I’ve got to buy it! Thanks for another great post.

Susan

I can make my husband fall in love with me all over again with these!
🙂 Mandy

Mandy - The Complete Cook Book

I love your recipe and that area of Rome, as well. Thanks for sharing.

Griff

Wow, what amazing work they are doing both at the Rome Sustainable Food Project and Oxbow School. It’s so inspiring to see that there is hope for a better world! There’s a similar project in Australia that I’m hoping to get involved with at some stage, run by Guru Australian chef Stephanie Alexander.

Emm

A lovely post and a beautifully simple recipe, thanks.
I wish I’d known about the Academy when I was in Rome 2 years ago – but I will just have to bake the biscotti and dream of my next trip!

Amanda

Thanks for sharing these! They look amazing as do your photos as well.

HappyWhenNotHungry

Your stories leading up to the featured recipe always inspire me to rush off to the kitchen, so don’t mind if I do.

France

These look perfect! Thanks for the tips on making tiny cookies. I love a mini treat and then don’t feel guilty having two!

Katie@Cozydelicious

Mmmm so excited to see this recipe. It’s so rare to find cookies like this in the US and ever since I had green pistachio cookies like this in Sicily I’ve been obsessed. Thanks!

Susie

I recently came upon your site and immediately put it on my ‘inspiration’ feed. Your stories, pictures, mood are all so harmonious.

Cassandra Potier Watkins

I LOVE these kinds of recipes. No adaptations, no figuring out what to substitute the wheat flour with. This looks, easy, brilliant and delicious. Perfect for holiday entertaining. Thank you!
Melissa

glutenfreeforgood

It’s surprising there’s no flour in the recipe–that should make my gluten free pals happy.

Tall Clover

I love pistachios! I once made cookies whose only ingredients were pistachios, sugar, and an egg. They were really yummy!
These cookies sound similar but with much more flavor. I’m gonna love them I’m sure.

Rachel

I had the wonderful luck of spending a month at the Academy studying archaeology in 2007 just as they were starting the Sustainable Food Program. It is a magical place and the amazing food made dinner every evening a feast for the senses as well as the mind. Thank you for introducing more people to the Academy and the Food Program.
Also… The cookies look delicious!

Betsy

I’ve been reading this blog for years because I love the recipes and they are so fun to play around with. This time I didn’t have pistachios, lemon, or eggs. But I did have cashews, lime, and apple sauce spiked with some ground flax seeds. They came out so good I just had to share the substitutions. Thanks for the wonderful recipes. They are such an inspiration.

Kathy

Baking another batch of biscotti has been on my to-do list for weeks now. Thanks for sharing a new recipe!

Chels@OmTownGirl

These remind me of an old Nigella recipe, a pistachio macaroon that was a stunning pale jade.
These, however, might double duty as breakfast. At least in my book 🙂 Thanks, Heidi.

molly

i have never made biscotti before, and now i’m not sure why. i love pistachios! this looks great, thanks.

laura @ alittlebarefoot

this sounds wonderful! can’t wait to try it. your visions of rome are sending me into a wistful daydream…. i could use a little rome myself right about now!

dinnertonight

Wow! Again! I’ve got to the stage where there is no point book-marking your recipes. I have so many book-marks now I don’t know where to begin…
Your site is very inspiring! x

Ribber

♥♥♥

Guusje

I adore pistachios – funny thing is I can only find ’em in shells so whenever I use them in a recipe I spend an hour shelling…. worth it though!

Michelle @ Find Your Balance

I love pistachios with my whole heart. If they weren’t so expensive here, they would be my favorite nut! Thanks for this recipe, I love that there’s no butter in it!
-Amalia

Amalia

My biggest weakness is cookbooks and any time you recommend one, I buy it. You have never steered me wrong!

Jill

Thanks for sharing your experience and this lovely recipe. It sounds very easy and looks delicious!

Bogna@Pots and Frills

I have never been any place like this before. It really sounds beautiful. You have a way of making me feel like I am right there with you. I hope you will share more of you trip with us because this is the only way I will ever get to visit there. I love the recipe even though I have never had it before. I get to try all kind of new things with each new post.

Betty

This recipe is truly creative. I absolutely love it!

Katrina

Oh wow, these programs sound great! Thanks for the info and recipe!

Simply Life

These look amazing! And naturally gluten and dairy free! I’m tempted to try them instead of the ginger cookies I was going to make today- life’s dilemmas!

Katiedidonline

Mmmm these look delicious!

Jessica @ How Sweet

Thanks for introduction to Mona and Academy. I love this tiny cookies or biscotti, just perfect bit size and I loved pistachio, yummy!

Pam @ Kitchen Cookware

Mmmm…cookies without flour and made with pure grounded pistacchios! I love pistacchios. I can’t wait to try making this one soon.

SeaAngel

I’ve only ever tried making apricot biscotti which I didn’t like much because of the dryness. Might try this as you can’t go wrong with pistachios!

Merry

The Biscotti cookbook looks intriguing and if it helps support sustainable food, I am there.
Raw pistacchios, I just don’t remember ever seeing any. I will give it another try because these cookies look worth it. It is time to start gathering cookies recipes for Christmas baking and this one looks like it is the first of the batch!
Grazie!

Laura @ SweetSavoryPlanet

Heidi, These cookies look wonderful. Can’t wait to see how fresh and zingy (is that a word ??) it makes these cookies! Thanks for a great recipe. -Mary

Mary (What's Cookin' with Mary)

I’ve been following your blog for a while, loving it! I appreciate real culinary talent, thank you for sharing yours. I hope more people catch onto the close connection to eating healthy all-natural foods and enjoying better health as well as the superior taste it has over artificial, prepackaged, and genetically modified foods.

Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters

Wow, thse are just gorgeous and such a unique twist on traditional biscotti. I have never seen them made into balls before. Brilliant. Thanks for sharing your travels.

Angela (Oh She Glows)

what lovely biscotti! they look scrumptious!

the blissful baker

Every X-mas I make Pistachio Biscotti with Cranberries and White Chocolate and people go nuts for them! You can’t go wrong with a classic!

kyn_a

I have such a weakness for pistachios! These sound simple enough to really let the pistachios shine.

Jessica

Mmm, those look delicious and oh so cute! I’d love to try making them.

Coco @ Opera Girl Cooks

I love how it has few ingredients. Mama mia, que bueno! –pardon my Italian 🙂

Nisrine

Such a simple recipe, I bet they taste fantastic!

Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday

Pistachio grow in the southern region of Sicily. We definitely do love pistachio, and use them in a lot of different kind of deserts and savory dishes.

Antonella

I love putting nuts into dough–hazelnuts are a particular favorite, especially when you use enough to give the dough a lacy texture. Welcome home!

isabel

Excellent recipe — they make festive Christmas cookies if you add dried cranberries. Bon appettito (spelling?)!!

Melissa Panzer

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