Name: Pistachio Macaroon Buttons
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups shelled pistachios (about 6 ounces/170 grams); 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon lemon zest; Pinch table salt; 2 tablespoons large egg whites from 1 large egg

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted to develop a great macaroon recipe so we could reproduce this classic French cookie at home. We found the task surprisingly simple: To make the cookies, we ground pistachios and sugar in a food processor, added egg whites and a little almond extract, and processed until the mixture became a stiff but cohesive dough. Next we dropped or piped the paste onto a parchment-lined sheet and baked. The result was a macaroon recipe for cookies that were moist and soft on the inside and crunchy-chewy on the outside.

Before You Begin

The skinning of pistachios is a nuisance, but there is no point in bothering with this recipe unless it is done. Make sure to get pistachios that are raw or only lightly toasted. The flavor of these macaroons becomes more intense the day after baking. Macaroons must be baked on parchment paper. They will stick to an ungreased sheet and spread on a greased one. You need a slightly less stiff dough if piping the macaroons, so add water, as needed, to make a pipeable paste.

Instructions

Boil pistachios hard in several quarts of water until skins begin to loosen, about 3 minutes. Drain nuts, then plunge into bowl of cold water; let stand in water until ready to peel. Remove skins, tossing skinned nuts onto paper towel–lined tray.

Thoroughly dry skinned pistachios on baking sheet set in center position in 200-degree oven, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven before nuts begin to give off roasted aroma or take on any color. Increase heat to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Set aside forty-eight pistachios. Turn remainder into bowl of food processor, fitted with the metal chopping blade, and grind fine. Add sugar, zest, and salt and process 1 minute longer. Add egg white; process until dough wads into moist clumps.

Roll dough into 1-teaspoon balls and arrange 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Make dimple in center of each ball with moistened fingertip; press reserved pistachio into each little crater. Bake cookies until they look dry and have just begun to color, 10 to 12 minutes. Set baking sheet on rack; let macaroons cool completely before peeling them off parchment paper. (Can be stored in air-tight container about 5 days.)