Those Pistachio Cookies with Ricotta and Freeze-Dried Raspberry are ultra moist and nutty. The vibrant colours and contrasting textures make them simply irresistible.

Craving something soft, moist, and irresistibly nutty? Those Pistachio cookies with Ricotta are a game-changer! With their contrasting colours, they’re not just delicious. The smooth interior melts on the tongue, thanks to the ricotta cheese. Paired with its crunchy pistachio and freeze-dried raspberry powder decoration, these cookies are a fun bite into contrasting textures and flavours.

An Italian Inspiration

This soft and moist cookie is inspired by lemon ricotta cookies, which are also sensational (check this recipe out). However, I wanted something festive, so why not use my favourite red and green combo of pistachio and freeze-dried raspberry? This combination is a family favourite! These cookies strike the perfect balance of soft and crunchy, making them irresistible.

Pistachio Cream

This green and irresistible pistachio cream or butter is a fancy paste you can easily make yourself at home by letting unsalted pistachios run in the food processor for a few minutes until smooth. As a mom, I like to keep it simple, so I’ve opted for an easy version and used the pre-made cream, which has already been sweetened. This stuff is like Nutella on steroids! A pure delight! Some are greener than others, depending on the method and type of pistachio used. So, if you want your cookies a light green for Christmas, choose a green pistachio cream.

The Ricotta Cheese

Thanks to this special ingredient, those pistachio cookies are ultra moist! The recipe uses Buffalo Ricotta for its extra sweetness and smoothness, but a standard cow’s milk Ricotta is perfectly fine. Drain the liquid before adding the cheese to the cookie dough.

The Toppings

For the toppings, a lovely combination of freeze-dried raspberry and crunchy pistachio brings colour and crunch to the cookies. Freeze-dried fruits hold up to 90% of their original nutritional content and are a good source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. You can find small packages of these dried fruits in the baby aisle of any supermarket.

The Technique

Baking powder makes these cookies light and fluffy, so they need an hour to rest in the fridge while the yeast works its magic. Once chilled, the dough is shaped into small balls that slightly flatten while baking. To minimize cracks on top, place a water bath in the oven during baking to create steam, helping maintain a smooth surface.

Variations

You can also use Christmas colour sprinkles as a topping.
Swap out the simple powdered sugar and milk icing for something more indulgent—tempered white chocolate is a fantastic alternative.
Use freeze-dried strawberries instead of raspberries.
I used olive oil in the cookie dough, which will lose most of its taste while cooking, but it could be replaced with the same amount of unsalted butter.
If you make your own pistachio butter, add a tablespoon or two of sugar.

Storage

To ensure your pistachio cookies maintain their texture and flavour, follow these storage tips:

Room Temperature: Let the cookies cool, then store them in an airtight container. Parchment paper layers them, keeping them fresh for up to two days.
Refrigeration: For longer freshness, refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to a week. Keep in mind that refrigeration might make them slightly firmer.
Freezing: If you’d like to store them even longer, freeze the undecorated cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet first. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bags. They’ll stay suitable for up to three months.

Other Festive Treats

5 from 4 votes

Pistachio Cookies with Ricotta and Freeze-dried raspberry

By: Marie Breton

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Italian

Servings cookies

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

resting time 1

Total Time 1 22

Soft and moist pistachio cookies with ricotta with added crunchy pistachios and freeze-dried raspberries as decoration is simply irresistable.

Ingredients

150 g pistachio cream
150 g ricotta preferably buffalo milk
150 g granulated sugar
120 g all-purpose flour
100 ml olive oil or butter
1 egg
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp vanilla extract

Glaze

130 g powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk or water

Toppings

75 g freeze-dried raspberry or strawberry
45 g pistachios without shell

Instructions

Add the sugar and olive oil to a food processor and blend until smooth.
Add the ricotta, pistachio cream, egg, baking powder and vanilla extract and blend again.
Incorporate the all-purpose flour and blend once more.
Cover and let it rest in the refrigerator for an hour or two.
Roll small balls with your pre-oiled hands and add them to a parchment or silicon mat-covered oven tray. Ensure that there is enough space for them to expand while baking.
Bake in the oven at 180°C (375°F) for 12 minutes.
Let them cool before decorating.
To make the icing or glaze, add the powdered sugar in a small bowl, add the milk slowly and whisk until smooth.
In a mortar or food processor, grind the pistachios and freeze-dried raspberries into a coarse powder.
Dip each cookie in the icing, 1/3 of the way, then sprinkle with pistachios and freeze-dried raspberries. Let them set on a wire rack or parchment paper.

Video

Notes

Swap the freeze-dried raspberries for strawberries.

Nutrition

Keywords: christmas, cookies, freeze-dried raspberries, Homemade cookies, Italian, moist, pistachio butter, pistachios, ricotta

Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying a full recipe to any social media is prohibited.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Share your thoughts on it! Leave a comment or share a picture and tag me @littlenomadsrecipes on Instagram.

8 Comments

Franca says:

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I made these cookies for a book club meeting, and they were a huge hit. They tasted so good that everyone there insisted on getting the recipe. I pointed them to your direction. I’ll be making them again for our Christmas cookie tray.

1. Marie Breton says:
  
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  Thanks! These will fly off the Christmas tables this year!
  
Cara says:

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We had some leftover freeze-dried strawberries so this was the perfect use! I’ll have to try again with raspberry as the recipe is written. Very pretty and very yummy!

1. Marie Breton says:
  
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  Both work well with these cookies. Enjoy!
  
amy liu dong says:

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I love pistachio so much and this cookie recipe of yours makes my heart happy.
I am going to make this at home!

1. Marie Breton says:
  
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  It is delicious; they’ve got this lovely texture. Enjoy!
  
Mahy says:

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Love how delicious these cookies are. They can make any day special, by the way. Yum!

1. Marie Breton says:
  
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  You are totally right!

Soft Ricotta and Pistachio Cookies