Pistachio Shortbread
Crumbly butter shortbread with chopped pistachios folded through, baked until pale gold and cut into fingers.
It looks like plain shortbread and eats like a richer relative, thanks to the green flecks of pistachio and the slightly nutty bite.
The method is the same as for any shortbread. Rub or beat the butter with the sugar until combined, then work in the flour and cornflour. Handle the dough as little as possible. Warm hands melt the butter, and a dough that has gone greasy bakes hard instead of short.
Chop the pistachios roughly, not into dust, so the pieces show when you cut the fingers. Press the dough into a lined tin and prick it all over with a fork.
Bake at 170°C for 20 minutes, until pale gold at the edges and still pale in the middle. If your oven runs hot, check at 16 minutes. Cut into 16 fingers while warm, then leave to cool in the tin, because cold shortbread shatters when cut.
Questions About Pistachio Shortbread
How long does Pistachio Shortbread take to make?
About 35 minutes in total — 15 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 16.
What are the key tips for making Pistachio Shortbread?
Handle the dough lightly. Chop the nuts roughly. If your oven runs hot, check at 16 minutes. Cut it while warm.
What should I serve with Pistachio Shortbread?
Hot tea; Strong coffee; Fresh strawberries; Cold milk.
How should Pistachio Shortbread be stored?
Keeps in an airtight tin for 1 week.
Is Pistachio Shortbread suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is vegetarian. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Pistachio Shortbread?
About 234 kcal per serving, with 3 g protein, 24 g carbohydrate and 14 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
How to Make Pistachio Shortbread
Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.
-
Heat the oven to 170°C / 340°F and line a 20 cm square tin.
-
Beat the butter and 100 g sugar until combined. Work in the flour and cornflour, then the pistachios.
-
Press the dough into the tin, level the top and prick all over with a fork.
-
Bake for 20 minutes until pale gold at the edges. Sprinkle with the finishing sugar, cut into 16 fingers while warm and cool in the tin.
A Few Pointers
- Handle the dough lightly.
- Chop the nuts roughly.
- If your oven runs hot, check at 16 minutes.
- Cut it while warm.
Serve It With
Hot tea · Strong coffee · Fresh strawberries · Cold milk
Keeping and Reheating
Keeps in an airtight tin for 1 week.
What's in a Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
Reader Reviews
Cooked this? Leave a review
Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
Related Recipes
More British cooking and baking ideas from Weekly Delight.
Beer-Battered Fish and Chips
Beer batter that shatters, chips with a fluffy interior, and a proper mushy pea and tartare sauce alongside. The…
Shepherd's Pie
Lamb mince in a rich gravy under a piped mash with crisp golden ridges. Made with beef it is a cottage pie; the…
Roast Beef and Yorkshire Puddings
A rib of beef roasted to a rosy centre, rested properly, and carved thick, with Yorkshire puddings risen tall in…
English Scones
Tall, straight-sided scones that split cleanly by hand rather than needing a knife. Cold butter, a light hand and a…