pistachio chocolate chip cookies

hello from the break room and welcome!! so glad you’re here.

remember when lunch breaks meant actually taking a break?

i created this space because i believe in food that feels like a quiet moment in a busy day. the kind that makes you slow down, even when you don't have time to.

to start off, we’re making cookies (of course). more specifically, pistachio kunafa (or ‘dubai chocolate’) cookies for two.

for me, there's something special about making just two of something - a deliberate decision to create something meant for sharing with one specific person. i don’t know what it is, but in a world often concerned with more, it feels so nice to make just enough for right now, for this quiet afternoon, for the person sitting across from you.

these cookies came from this simple thought.

if you like cookies with crisp, golden edges, chewy middles and melty chocolate, this recipe is for you. what makes these worth the extra effort is that crunchy pistachio filling inside! these cookies are also kind of huge, so if you think this might be too much for you, you can definitely halve this recipe and make one big cookie to share :)

i love making these cookies when i’m not rushing, and can afford to take my time with things, as there are a number of steps and some waiting time in between while the cookie dough and the filling needs to chill and set properly.

ingredients - makes two (very) large cookies

method

1. in a bowl, add butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar. mix this together until the butter and sugars are completely combined and the mixture looks soft and creamy.

2. add the heavy cream and vanilla extract to the bowl, and mix those in until combined.

3. in another bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. then, add this to the mixture.

4. add the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate.

5. mix the dry ingredients in until a dough is formed.

6. chill the dough in the fridge for fifteen minutes, then separate the dough into two equal sized dough balls and chill them for another fifteen minutes. they weighed about 116g each (4.1oz)

7. while the dough is chilling, make the pistachio filling. chop the kadayif pastry into small pieces, then heat up a pan over low-medium heat. add butter to the pan, and let it melt.

8. add the chopped pastry to the pan, and toast it in the butter over low-medium heat until it turns a golden brown colour.

9. once the pastry looks golden brown and toasted, remove it from the pan and place it in another bowl so that it can cool. let it cool completely.

10. once the pastry has cooled completely, gently warm the pistachio cream in the microwave until it’s a pourable consistency.

11. pour the pistachio cream in the bowl with the toasted pastry, along with the tahini. mix everything together until the pastry is completely coated.

12. separate the pistachio mixture into two and place this in the freezer for fifteen minutes - it will be hard to shape at this point so don’t worry about the shape of it.

13. after freezing for fifteen minutes, take it out - it should be easy to shape now, so push each one into something like a ball shape, then freeze this for another 5-10 minutes.

14. preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) around 15-20 minutes before baking the cookies, and line a baking tray with parchment paper or baking paper.

15. once the dough and the filling is ready, flatten each dough ball and place the pistachio mixture in the centre. wrap the dough around the pistachio filling until the filling is completely covered.

16. place the filled cookies on your lined tray. they will spread a lot so make sure there’s enough space in between them.

17. bake the cookies at 180°C (350°F) for 15-18 minutes on the middle rack, until the edges look set, golden and crispy and the centres look soft.

18. remove the cookies from the oven, add extra chocolate chips, and let the cookies cool for at least ten minutes - they will take some time to set and cool.

19. serve with a glass of milk, and let’s eat!

notes

• feel free to halve the recipe if you want to make one big cookie instead of two

• milk usually works fine instead of cream in this cookie dough recipe, but you might need to chill the dough for longer as it usually gives a softer dough

• keep an eye on your cookies as they bake, as every oven is different and you don’t want to over bake the cookies

i hope you love this recipe and please let me know how it goes!

see you at lunch,

aymen