Saffron And Pistachio Shortbread Cookies

Description

Source: TASTY PRIDE - TASTY

My mother always loved baking and was willing to travel out of her way for quality ingredients. There was a Middle Eastern market she was fond of in downtown Chicago, about two hours from our house in the sleepy suburbs. We would drive out there every few months to stock up on various ingredients—and I would be excited every time. Part of why I loved going there was that it was near Boys Town, Chicago’s gayborhood. Those colorful city blocks were the only place I ever saw queer people out and about. My mother would stock up on saffron, pistachios, and other treats, and I would snack on our drive home as I stared out the window at queer folks laughing, holding hands, and doing nothing other than being 100 percent authentically themselves. This outward expression of pride and happiness became a goal for me. When I graduated college, I moved in just a few blocks from the heart of Boys Town. Whenever I bake with saffron, the sweet scent reminds me just how far I’ve come. - Jesse Szewczyk

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• ¾ teaspoon saffron threads, lightly crushed with your fingers
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening
• ¾ cup finely chopped roasted and salted pistachios
• Flaky sea salt (optional)

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat.
2. Add the saffron and cook, stirring until the butter turns bright orange and is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. Pour the butter into a heatproof bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool in the refrigerator for 1 hour, until solid.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
5. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
7. Add the cooled butter and confectioners’ sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
8. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
9. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat just until incorporated.
10. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until a dry dough forms, about 1 minute.
11. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and press together into a ball.
12. Dust the top of the dough with flour and roll into a ½-inch-thick circle.
13. Using a 1½-inch round cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.
14. Prick the tops with a fork 3 times and freeze for 10 minutes.
15. Bake the cookies until lightly golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes.
16. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.
17. Put the chocolate and coconut oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl.
18. Microwave in 10-second increments, stirring between each, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
19. Dip half of each cookie in the melted chocolate, then roll the edge in the pistachios.
20. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired.
21. Set the dipped cookies on a piece of parchment paper and let set for 1 hour before serving.

YIELD: MAKES 24 COOKIES