Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies
This last week has made me reflect on the many happy accidents in my life. Starting, in fact, nine months before I was born.
I always thought it was cool that my sister and I were the same age for a month during the year. I liked it when I told people we were sisters, “same age but not twins”. I found it hilarious when they would give us this puzzled look. It only dawned on me one day, when I was around thirteen or fourteen, my family was having dinner at the house of some friends they had just met. The lady was introducing her four children.
“The eldest is James, he is sixteen, followed by Natasha, she is twelve.” She said.
“Then this is Raul, he is eight. Bea, my youngest, is also eight.” Then the lady patted her youngest daughter’s head and said as she smiled cheekily and said “She’s the accident of the family!”, to everyone’s amusement.
Everyone, except me, as I was shocked. If Bea and Raul were the same age and Bea was an accident… I started to think about the age gaps between all my other siblings – everyone was around two years apart except for me and my sister. I felt my face turning red. Could this mean I was an accident too?
It was only after the dinner that I confronted my Mom about this discovery.
“Am I an accident too?” I asked.
This is why my Mom is so fantastic.
“If you were, you’d be the best accident ever!” she said.
Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies
Which brings me to these Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies.
Last week I had some friends over who wanted to learn how to make macarons. I had prepared the almond meal, cocoa powder, icing sugar and caster sugar in little bowls so that all we needed to do was make the meringue and mix. I pointed to the almond meal, cocoa powder and icing sugar and told them to mix all of it. I turned my back to separate the eggs.
“Do you want me to add the sugar?” My friend asked.
“Yes please.” I told her.
As we started to make the meringue, I asked where the caster sugar was”
“It’s with the almond meal mixture!” They told me.
“What? We needed it for the meringue.” I said.
“But I asked you if I should add the sugar.” She said!
I just had to laugh. Of course I did tell her to add the sugar! So she added even the caster sugar. Silly silly me!
But that’s okay, because just when I thought that my Trissalicious World’s Best Pistachio cookies couldn’t get any better, I made this with that accidental supply of almond meal and sugar mixture. So here you have the the chocolate and pistachio version, gluten free, easy to make, and terribly delicious.
Serendipity!
Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies
Trissalicious Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies
- 180 grams Pistachios (raw, shelled)
- 225 grams almond meal
- 120 grams caster sugar
- 125 grams icing sugar
- 30 grams dutch processed cocoa powder
- 75 grams eggwhites (from around 2 to 3 eggs)
- Chop the pistachios roughly and set aside.
- In a bowl place the almond meal, sugars and egg whites. Mix well until you form a paste.
- Scoop the cookie batter and form into logs around 5 cm long, (at this point, if you find the batter too sticky add a little bit more almond meal to the paste) then roll them in the pistachios.
- Place them in a baking sheet, around 2 cm apart and bake for around 13 minutes at 150c (fan forced).
- Update on recipe: Dust with icing sugar when cool.
