Pistachio Cherry Charmers

Pistachio Cherry Charmers are a delicious cookie that takes its inspiration from a vintage family recipe that belonged to my Great Aunt Liz. They are tender, not too sweet and have caramel, nutty notes that are complemented by a sour cherry jam. And their green and red color combo make them a festive addition to holiday baking.

This was a new to me family recipe that instantly charmed me when I discovered it in an old box of recipes. Despite being named "thumbprints," the dimple in the cookie that holds the jam was originally made by using an old-fashioned clothespin. Adorable, right? I couldn't wait to order some clothespins and try out the recipe. In addition to being such a quaint and lovely detail from the original recipe, it truly does make a perfect and consistently round cavern to hold the jam.

The recipe originally called for walnuts and no specific flavor of jam. But as I am personally besotted by the combination of cherry and pistachio, I layered them into the recipe in a few ways using dried cherries, sour cherry preserves, chopped pistachios and pistachio cream drizzle on the finished cookie. You can, of course, use any nut and preserves combination, but I'm hooked on the cherry/ pistachio combination.

Ingredients

ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
SOFTENED BUTTER
LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
LARGE EGGS (SEPARATED and ROOM TEMPERATURE)
VANILLA POWDER, PASTE OR EXTRACT
KOSHER SALT
BAKING POWDER
DRIED CHERRIES
UNSALTED ROASTED PISTACHIOS
SOUR CHERRY JAM
PISTACHIO CREAM (you can alternatively use melted white chocolate to drizzle if preferred.)

Special Tools and Supplies

Food Processor
Standing Mixer
Mini Cookie Scooper
Pastry Brush
Old-Fashioned Clothespin (but of course, you can use your thumb 😉

How to Make Pistachio Cherry Charmers

Adding dried cherries to a food processor | PistachioCherryCharmers

ChopDriedCherriesinFoodProcessor| Pistachio Cherry Charmers

(1) Add dried cherries to the bowl of a food processor.

(2) Pulse for 5-10 seconds until cherries are cut finer. Be sure not to over process or the cherries will come together in a clump. They will be a little sticky. Set aside until ready to incorporate into cookie dough.

ButterandBrownSugarinaMixer| PistachioCherryCharmers

Add egg yolks and vanilla to dough | Pistachio Cherry Charmers Recipe

(3) Cream softened butter in a standing mixer on medium high about 1-2 minutes until creamy. Add brown sugar and beat for another minute.

(4) Add egg and vanilla and mix for another minute until incorporated.

Add flour, baking powder and salt to dough | Pistachio Cherry Charmers Recipe

Adding dried cherries to PistachioCherryCharmersRecipe

(5) Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix dough on low speed just until combined. Be careful not to overmix.

(6) Add dried cherries to the dough and mix on the lowest speed for about five seconds until they distribute through the dough.

How to Assemble Pistachio Cherry Charmers

Hands rolling cookie dough into round shape | Cherry Pistachio Charmers Recipe

Egg washing cookie dough ball with a pastry brush | Cherry Pistachio Charmers Recipe

Pre-heat over to 375°. Set up a prep plate with a bowl of finely chopped pistachios and a ramekin of egg whites. You'll also need a mini cookie scooper (1 teaspoon), a pastry brush, a clothespin (you can alternatively use your thumb) and a parchment lined baking tray.

(1) Scoop cookie dough with a mini scooper. Create a flat edge on top of the scooper to ensure consistently sized cookies. Use clean hands to roll the scooped dough into a rounder shape.

(2) Use pastry brush to brush egg whites on all sides of the dough ball.

Roll dough ball in finely chopped pistachios | Pistachio Cherry Charmers Recipe

Place Cookies on a parchment lined baking tray | Pistachio Cherry Charmers Recipe

(3) Dip and lightly roll egg washed balls of dough in chopped pistachios.

(4) Place them about an 1 1/2 - 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking tray.

Create a well in the center of each cookie using a clothespin | Pistachio Cherry Charmers Recipe

Pinch edges of the cookies to create a perfectly round edge | Pistachio Cherry Charmers Recipe

(5) Use the rounded head of an old-fashioned clothespin to make a well in the center of each cookie. Be careful not to push through to the pan.

(6) Pinch to outer edges of the cookies to create the most consistently rounded shape.

Place cookies in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes until they are a light brown. Set aside to cool.

Finishing Touches

Using a pastry bag or a small spoon, place sour cherry jam into the indentation of cooled cookies. Using a pastry bag, drizzle pistachio cream over each cookie and optionally sprinkle with crushed pistachios.

Drizzle pistachio cream over each cookie using a pastry bag and optionally sprinkle with crushed pistachios.

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Author: Family Tree Foodie

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 °
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the cherries about 5-7 times until they are smaller in size and finer in thickness. Set aside.
Finely chop pistachios and set aside.
In the bowl of standing mixer, cream the softened butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Add brown sugar and mix on medium for another minute.
Add egg yolks and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
Add dry ingredient – flour, baking powder and salt and mix on low just until incorporated being careful not to overmix.
Add chopped dried cherries to dough and stir on low for as little time as possible needed to disperse them throughout the dough.

ASSEMBLY:

Using an extra small cookie scooper (1 tsp), scoop dough and flatten the top to ensure evenly sized cookies. Scoop about 9-10 out at once.
With clean hands, round them into a more consistently round shape.
Once they are formed, brush them with egg white and dip them in the pistachio mixture and place them spaced out on the baking tray. They don’t expand very much so 1-2 inches in between is plenty.
Using the head of an old fashioned rounded clothespin (or your thumb), create an indentation in the center of each cookie. If the cookie becomes a bit misshapen due to this, you can use your thumb and forefinger to pinch the exterior to get it back in a perfect circle shape.
Bake them for about 12 – 14 minutes until they are light brown. Remove them from the oven and set aside to cool.
Using a piping bag or a small spoon, add the sour cherry preserves to the well in the center of each cookie.
Using a piping bag, drizzle the pistachio cream in a zig zag pattern over each cookie. You can also use a small spoon to drizzle it for a more rustic look.

Matriarch Muse : Liz

Liz Murray was born in 1914 in Pennsylvania. She studied home economics at Marywood College and went on to serve as the head dietician of a State Hospital for 35 years. During that time, she directed her team to cook three meals per day for 1,600 people.

Liz never married and lived in bustling Irish Catholic homestead with her mother, aunts, and her younger sister Marguerite’s family, including her six nieces and nephews. When her sister tragically died at age 47, "Aunt Liz "served as a beloved mother figure to her nieces and nephews. She was kind and generous, elegant and funny. Her cooking is the stuff of legends in our family. From Thanksgiving feasts to sweet treats, to even making her niece’s massive, scrumptious cherry walnut wedding cake, Aunt Liz remains our family's culinary gold standard. It’s such an honor to celebrate and preserve her food legacy.

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