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Lemon Lime White Chocolate Pistachio Cookies is a mouthful of a name. I get it. But these utterly delightful, bright cookies just scream Spring! They have the fresh, bright burst of citrus with the rich, sweetness of the white chocolate chips and added depth from the lightly toasted pistachios. Everything you could want in a cookie. Lumpy and bumpy with pistachios and chips. Crispy at the edges with a soft center! And oh, how they smell!

I saw Valerie Bertinelli make her version of these and instantly knew that I wanted to try them. Anything with citrus has my attention even though I have never been a white chocolate fan. Now I grew up in a candy family. My father was in the business and I know my chocolate. And it has always bugged me when I hear the term “white chocolate.” There is no such thing. It is made from cocoa butter without any cocoa solids. However, with age, I have come to accept that it is universally referred to as “chocolate” and has its place in the baking pantheon. But, to be clear, I am a very dark chocolate person. So while the ease of making these cookies, combined with the citrus were an invitation to me, I wanted something to be a counterpoint to the white chocolate. Toasted pistachios!

Therefore, I have tweaked the original recipe to suit my tastes and the result is a real winner. These delicious Lemon Lime Pistachio White Chocolate Cookies are now a new favorite and very easy to whip up.

While we may argue over whether white chocolate is truly chocolate, there is no arguing over using a quality brand. Same goes for the butter, vanilla and nuts that you use. You can taste the difference.

Let’s talk sugar for a moment. There are soooooooooooooooo many varieties available these days and they each have their place. The original recipe calls for granulated and light brown sugar. As it happens, I don’t buy light brown sugar – only dark, which has more molasses in it. However, I thought that might be a bit overpowering here. What I do happen to have is powdered jaggery, which I started using during the pandemic. It is a cane sugar with lovely caramelly notes – perfect for these and other cookies. My husband and I also really love jaggery when baking with apples and other fruit. If you are interested in trying it, jaggery is available online and through South Asian grocery stores.

Even before the pandemic, my actual travelling had become more limited. Rather than going overseas, we like to go hiking out west. So while I may stay in my armchair so to speak, instead, I travel through food. Every time I try a new recipe, spice or other ingredient, I delve into the culture and customs of another land and another people.

There is a lot of talk these days about cultural appropriation. But I happen to think that when it comes to food (and jewelry!) this should not be viewed as a negative. While I might not always succeed, I hope that I am honoring those cultures and peoples through the food that I cook and eat.

I always used to cook and bake by the seat of my pants, adding things in as I read off the recipe. But since I began my blog, I have found that taking a few extra minutes of preparation (and possibly bowls) at the front end saves me from mistakes and makes the whole process easier. The French call it “mise en place.” Everything is prepped and organized. So that is how I have written the recipe. However, if you aren’t into that, just add things in the order given directly into the mixer.

I guarantee that these cookies will become a new favorite of yours too.

After a day or so the cookies lose their crispiness. Still delicious, but if you are like me, I love when the edges are crispy and the center is soft. In order to achieve this, just place them in a 350 degree oven for a couple of minutes to refresh the cookies.

Recipe

Yield: About 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room
temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar or jaggery
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tablespoons lemon zest (About 1 large lemon)
2 tablespoons lime zest (About 1.5 limes)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1.5 cups white chocolate chips, preferably Ghirardelli Classic
1/2 cup lightly pan-toasted and chopped raw, unsalted pistachios

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and line 2 or 3 rimmed baking pans with parchment or Silpat

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.

Combine the sugars in a bowl and set aside.

Zest the lemon and lime(s) and set aside.

Add the softened butter and the sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream them for 2 to 3 minutes or until a bit lighter in color and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Crack in your egg and beat until incorporated. Then add in the lemon and lime zest and the vanilla extract. Beat until evenly combined.

Add the dry ingredients in all at once and mix until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a heavy rubber spatula or wooden spoon, give a good mix from the bottom of the bowl. Toss in the pistachios and white chocolate chips and mix through.

Using a 1.5 Tablespoon cookie scoop (Yes, of course, you can do this with a spoon.) drop the dough onto the lined cookie pans about 2-inches apart. I was able to get 12 cookies per pan. If you use a smaller scoop, you will get more. There is no need to flatten the balls; it will happen naturally in the oven.

Bake each tray for about 10 to 12 minutes (less if using a smaller scoop). My oven temperature is very uneven so I turn my pans once while baking. You want to bake the cookies until the edges are golden and the center has puffed up. The cookies will deflate as they cool.

Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the pan before removing them to a cooling rack. Cool completely and enjoy!

NOTE: If you don’t wish to bake all of the cookies now, the dough can be rolled into a log, wrapped well and frozen for up to a month. Defrost the dough slightly before baking.

Due to the unprovoked, brutal war of annihilation against Ukrainian civilians by Vladimir Putin and his army and the worsening humanitarian crisis, please consider helping by following the link below. There are a number of reputable aid agencies from which to choose.

Support Humanitarian Efforts in Ukraine

These wonderfully, fragrant Saffron Pistachio Blondies will conjure up 1,001 Arabian Nights or a treat worthy of Rama and Sita. Rich with pistachios, cardamom, saffron and a hint of white chocolate, these chewy delights are even better the next day. I love desserts that I can make ahead, especially when entertaining. It’s true that depending on where you reside in the world, the ingredients that make these blondies special can be pricey. If these are beyond your budget or you are not a huge fan of saffron, please choose to make something else. Do not make substitutions. On the other hand, the amounts used are relatively small and compared to the price of something from a bakery….

The original recipe called for a cream cheese frosting, which undoubtedly would be pretty, especially if garnished with some additional chopped pistachios or rose petals. However, my husband and I aren’t really into frosting which often can simply mask a less than wonderful cake.

These Saffron Pistachio Blondies can stand on their own with no need of embellishment. Saffron lends a beautiful golden color to the batter in addition to the exceptional flavor. (I am including the recipe for the frosting below just in case you want to use it. If you are using the frosting, the blondies will require refrigeration. And the original recipe used the saffron only in the frosting. It was NOT in the cake batter as I have done here.)

And while I may not be a huge fan of cream cheese frostings, I do love to eat the Saffron Pistachio Blondies with a dollop of homemade, lightly sweetened crème fraîche. The slight tang of the cultured crème fraîche adds exactly the right counterpoint to the dense, richness of the blondie. You can sweeten the crème fraîche with a tablespoon or two of confectioner’s or icing sugar or honey.

My recipe for the blondies deviates a bit from the original in the instructions as well as a few tweaks to the ingredients. This lovely cake would be a wonderful finish for any Middle Eastern or South Asian dinner. Enjoy them soon!

Recipe

Servings: About 9

Ingredients

For the Blondies

¾ cup/112 grams raw, unsalted pistachios, lightly pan-toasted plus more for garnish

1 cup/130 grams all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon coarse kosher salt 

¾ teaspoon baking powder 

¾ teaspoon ground cardamom

¾ cup/173 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled 

1 ¼ packed cups/250 grams dark brown sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature 

½ cup/87 grams white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper so the paper spills out over the sides of the pan to create an overhang. This will make removing the blondies a snap. (For thicker blondies, you can use an 8-inch pan. You may have to adjust the baking time slightly.)
   
2. In a food processor, pulse the pistachios with the cardamom, salt, baking powder and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the total flour. Pulse until the nuts are mostly finely ground. By adding the dry ingredients to the nuts, you prevent them from becoming pasty. Add the remaining flour and pulse to combine.
   
3. Add the saffron threads to the melted butter and allow to steep as the butter cools down some. Then add the brown sugar and whisk until smooth and shiny. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until incorporated. The pistachio mixture gets added next. Mix with a silicone spatula to combine being careful to go to the bottom of the bowl so no flour is left unmixed. Gently stir in the white chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread in an even layer.
    
4. Bake until the sides are brown and pull away from the pan, and the middle is slightly paler in color, 25 to 27 minutes. Ovens really vary so don’t be surprised if the blondies take longer. Mine baked for 35 minutes and then I left them in the oven for 8 more minutes with it turned off and the door left partially open. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few crumbs attached. Because of the richness of the pistachios and the butter, the blondies are not likely to get dried out. So don’t be afraid to completely bake them through. Cool completely in the pan on a rack.
   
5. When the blondies are cooled completely, you can lift them out of the pan. At this point, you can cut them as is or frost them. While the blondies can be eaten as soon as they are cooled, I think they are even better the next day when the flavors have had a chance to really meld.

Note: These blondies are perfect as is in my opinion. However, if you wish to up the Middle Eastern vibe a bit, you could add a few drops of rose water to the batter or frosting, if using. But be careful. Too much rose water tends to make baked goods taste like soap. My husband really dislikes rose water, so I didn’t try it. Let me know if you do in the comments and how it turns out.

For the Frosting, if using

Ingredients

½ teaspoon/.33 gram packed saffron threads

1 ½ tablespoons whole milk 

6 ounces/170 grams cream cheese, softened 

⅓ cup/77 grams unsalted butter, softened 

⅔ cup/93 grams confectioners’ sugar

 Pinch of coarse kosher salt 

Directions

1. Finely grind the saffron threads in a mortar using a pestle or in a microwave-safe bowl using the back of a spoon. If needed, transfer the ground saffron to a microwave-safe bowl or to a small saucepan if you don’t have a microwave. Stir in the milk, and microwave on high or heat over medium until the mixture is frothing around the edges but not boiling, about 30 seconds. Place the bowl in the refrigerator or freezer to quickly cool the mixture.
    
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, use an electric hand or stand mixer or a heavy whisk or wooden spoon to beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. If working by hand, this takes some muscle. Add the confectioners’ sugar and salt and beat again until homogeneous and no clumps of sugar remain. Beat in the cooled saffron milk until well-combined. The frosting will turn a bright golden hue.
   
3. Once the bars have cooled completely, scrape the frosting over the top, and use a spatula to spread it evenly. Crush or chop some pistachios for garnish and sprinkle all over the top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before eating. The bars keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 1 month.