Thumbprint Cookies: Pistachio and Cream

Hooray for Spring! And thanks for being here!  Because April is my birthday month and because I am a cookie lover in. the. extreme. I have decided to share several of my favorite cookie recipes throughout this month… a Landee Cookiepalooza, if you will.  And I totally know you will.  Today I am sharing a long time favorite of mine… Pistachio and Cream Thumbprint Cookies.  HOLY MOLY these are good!  They aren’t that hard to make but they LOOK so stinkin’ fancy and, above all, are delicious!  A hint of pistachio, a dollop of cream, a drizzle of chocolate… perfect for when you’ve been asked to bring a treat for a baby or bridal shower.  Everyone will be begging you for the recipe, I promise! Whoever invented thumbprint cookies is a genius!  Make a little divot in an already delicious cookie and fill that divot with even more deliciousness?  Um, ok!

Pistachio & Cream Thumbprint Cookies

Here’s what you’ll need to make these little gems:

• 1 cup butter
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 tsp. almond extract
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 (3.4 oz) pkg. instant pistachio pudding, dry mix
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 2 cups chopped pecans

For Cream Filling:

• 2 tbsp. butter, room temp
• 2 cups powdered sugar, room temp
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2-3 tbsp. milk

You will also need extra chocolate chips or melting chocolate to melt and drizzle over cookies at the end.

Cookie Directions:  1) Cream together the butter and powdered sugar. 2) Add egg, almond extract and vanilla. 3) Beat in flour and pistachio pudding mix. 4) Stir in mini chocolate chips. 5) Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in chopped pecans.  6) Place on greased cookie sheet and press thumb into each cookie. 7) Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and let cool.

Cream Filling Directions: Mix all ingredients for cream filling together.  Fill each cookie with a dollop of cream filling.

Melt chocolate and drizzle over these thumbprint cookies!  I put some chocolate melting wafers in a ziplock baggie and microwaved it in 10 second increments, massaging the bag each time, until it had melted.  I then snipped off a tiny bit of one corner of the baggie and drizzled the chocolate that way.  Super easy!

If you have 30 minutes or so before you’re taking these somewhere, I would pop them in the fridge.  The cream filling is SO GOOD if it has had a chance to set up a little bit!

(This post may contain affiliate links.  See my full disclosure here.)

As a seasoned veteran of the cookie making game, I have definitely decided on a few favorite items that I use pretty much every time I pull out the ingredients to make cookies!  I’ve complied a list below with links to each item … do you have any favorites that I missed?

1. Kitchenaid Mixer:  The one should come as no surprise!  And if you can get it in aqua, all the better! I can’t remember the last time I made cookies without it!
2. Measuring Cups & Spoons:  I love this set because of the odd cup and spoon sizes… 3/4 Cup?  Yes!  No more measuring 1/4 three times or worse, dirtying a 1/2 cup and a 1/4 cup!
3. Spatula: Of course you need a spatula to get those cookies off the cookie sheet!  I love this metal one with the slots to make it all that much easier to transfer.
4.  Silpat Baking Mat: No more need to “grease” a cookie sheet!  Just lay this baby down on your cookie sheet and away you go.  Nothing will stick to this.
5. Cookie Scoop:  What did I do before I had a cookie scoop?  The easy way to get uniform cookies!  I looooove my cookie scoop.  I wish I were over-exaggerating here but I’m not.
6. Cookie sheet:  I love these heavy duty Nordic Ware ones!  Mine have been perfectly “seasoned” over the years and they just seem to get better and better!
7. Rubber/Silicone Spatulas: How else will you lick the bowl clean?  This is a must-have tool to scrape down the sides of that bowl.

Enjoy and happy cookie making!