Every week, my three little bakers—ages 3, 7, and 9—and I get our hands messy in the kitchen for this column. To kick off the holidays, we’re launching our “Holiday Cookie of the Week” series, and here’s where you come in: Send us your favorite holiday cookie recipes! We’ll bake them up as a family, share the honest results, and feature the best ones right here. Your family’s secret recipe could be next—what are you waiting for? Send me an email today! (Please!)
This week, we dove into pistachio cookies. The dough turned out way too sticky to roll out like the recipe said, so we improvised and just plopped spoonfuls straight onto the baking sheet. The kids devoured them (as did my husband), but I wasn’t sold—next time, I’m hunting for one with actual chopped pistachios instead of that instant pudding mix.
Pistachio Cookies (Pudding Mix Edition)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 3.4-oz box instant pistachio pudding mix
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 2-4 drops green food coloring (optional—for that elf-approved glow)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar, for rolling (or, in a pinch, a light dusting post-bake)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add egg and sour cream; mix until combined. Stir in milk.
- Beat in the pudding mix, almond extract, and food coloring (if using) until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add to the wet ingredients on low speed—just until incorporated.
- Scoop by tablespoonfuls (pro tip: chill the dough 15-20 minutes if it’s being extra clingy). Roll in powdered sugar if manageable, then drop onto the sheet.
- Bake 12-14 minutes, until edges are golden but centers are still a tad soft. Cool on the sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack.
Yield: About 2-3 dozen cookies that capture holiday hijinks. Pair with steaming mugs of cocoa, and let the giggles echo louder than the oven timer—it’s the glue that holds our traditions together.
