Lemon-Pistachio White Chocolate Buttercream Cookies

Lemon-Pistachio White Chocolate Buttercream Cookies (Adapted from Canadian Living)

For the cookies

12 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons fresh grated lemon zest
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the buttercream

4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 ounces chopped white chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Finishing touches

2 ounces chopped white chocolate, melted
3 tablespoons shelled pistachios, chopped

To prepare the cookies

In a large mixing bowl, add sugar and zest - rub the two together with your fingers until the lemon zest is evenly distributed and the sugar takes on a light yellow hue. Add butter - beat until fluffy. Beat in egg and juice until combined. Add flour and salt - mix just until the dough comes together. Divide in half, shape into a dish and wrap well with plastic wrap - place into the refrigerator to chill for 60 minutes.

Between a couple sheets of parchment paper, roll out each piece of dough to 1/4" thickness. Using a scalloped rectangle or round cookie cutter, cut out as many shapes as possible and place them onto parchment lined baking sheets about 1" apart. Reroll scraps and repeat process - if the dough is too soft to work with, place back into the refrigerator to chill. Cover filled baking sheets and place them into the refrigetor until the cookies are firm, about 30 minutes.

While chilling, preheat oven to 325.

Bake until the cookies are crisp and beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool for 2 minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare the buttercream

In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy and smooth. Mix in white chocolate, zest and juice. Evenly spread the bottoms of half the cookies with the buttercream. Place the remaining cookies on top to make a sandwich.

For the finishing touch

Drizzle the top of each cookie with white chocolate and sprinkle with pistachios.

Makes about 25 to 45 cookie sandwiches, depending on the size of your cookie cutter.

Just found the recipe? Click here to see where we talked about it!