Cardamom Pistachio Bars

Several weeks ago, I made some cardamom pistachio cookies that were modeled after the mudslide cookies.  I whipped the egg whites, folded in flour, spices, coconut, and pistachios, and popped the cookies in the oven with hopes as high as meringue.  The resulting cookies were soft and delicately flavored.  I really loved them, but something about the texture and flavor combination just didn't seem right.  The flavors begged to be put in a cookie with a bit more structure.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that what I really wanted was a shortbread-style cookie, and I thought of the lemon cranberry bars my Aunt Liz makes.  I first ate a lemon cranberry bar when Aunt Liz made them for the cookie table at my wedding.  Like all of the cookies on the table, they were amazing!

A year later, I finally got around to calling her for the recipe, and every time I make them, someone asks me for it.  Eventually, I hope to share Aunt Liz's recipe with you.  Until then, you'll have to try out this cardamom pistachio variation.  These bars have just the right texture and flavor combination; you won't be able to eat just one.

 

Notes:
If my kitchen is very hot when I make this recipe, I use cubed frozen butter so it doesn't become too soft while the dough is being mixed.  The glaze can take a while to dry, so if you're making these to take somewhere, be sure to allow enough time for the glaze to dry completely.

This recipe is adapted from a cranberry lemon bar recipe my Aunt Liz gave me.  I think the recipe was originally posted in Good Housekeeping.

Cookie Ingredients:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup shelled unsalted pistachios
½ cup unsweetened coconut
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cubed and cold
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup powdered sugar
1½ teaspoons ground cardamom
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon extract
zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Glaze Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon cardamom
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
zest of 1 lemon
½ tablespoon lemon juice
1½ tablespoons water

Yields 4 dozen 1x2-inch bars

Whisk, Process, Stir, Press, and Bake:
Set a rack at the middle level of the oven, and preheat to 350°F.  Line a 9x13-inch pan with aluminum foil, leaving a two-inch overhang at the two ends, and set aside.  In a large-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, pistachios, and coconut, and set aside.  Place the butter, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, cardamom, and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until the mixture is sandy and the butter pieces are pea-sized.   Add the vanilla and lemon extracts, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and process until the mixture begins to form a ball around the blade of the food processor.  Scrape the butter mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture, and use your fingertips to work them together.  Once all of the flour has been incorporated, dump the mixture into the prepared pan, and press it into an even layer.  Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, until the top is a light brown color.  Allow the bar to cool, and then top with the glaze.

Glaze, Wait, Cut:
When the bar is cool, whisk together the powdered sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of water.  The mixture should be slightly runny; if it isn't, add an additional half-tablespoon of water.  Pour the glaze on top of the cooled bar, and spread it out evenly using a spatula.  Allow the glaze to fully dry (this can take several hours.)  Once the glaze is dry, use the foil overhang to lift the bar out of the pan.  Carefully peel off the foil and use a sharp knife to cut the bar into 1x2-inch rectangles.  Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

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