Hello friends,
Today we’re diving into pure indulgence… and I’m pretty sure this recipe is going to become one of your favorites, especially if you’re a pistachio lover…
Here are my giant pistachio and white chocolate cookies.
Cookies, so well-known?
This recipe is just crazy good… I’ll tell you everything. But first, a little clarification.
This isn’t my first cookie recipe on the blog. Yet, I had never really wondered about the origin of these delicious little treats, kings of snack time…
The origin of cookies: a deliciously accidental story
It’s hard to imagine a world without cookies. Whether crispy, chewy, filled with chocolate chips, or studded with nuts, cookies have become a global treat. Yet, their story goes much further back than you might think, and like so many culinary creations, their invention was a happy accident.
Already in the Middle Ages…
The history of cookies begins in the Middle Ages, long before the word “cookie” as we know it existed. Back then, bakers would use small amounts of dough to test their oven temperatures, placing little blobs onto baking trays. These little baked pieces, called “test cakes,” resembled what we now call cookies. They weren’t initially meant for eating, but their pleasant taste quickly encouraged bakers to turn them into their own product.
A little etymology
The word “cookie” comes from the Dutch “koekje,” meaning “little cake.” Not surprising: in the 17th century, many Dutch settlers emigrated to the New World, bringing their culinary traditions with them, including “koekjes.” Settling in what would later become New York (then New Amsterdam), these immigrants had a major influence on American cuisine. Over time, koekjes evolved, adapting to local tastes and new ingredients.
The cookie we know today
However, the modern cookie — soft and studded with chocolate chips — didn’t appear until the 20th century. The invention of the famous chocolate chip cookie is credited to Ruth Graves Wakefield in 1938. Owner of the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts, Ruth wanted to make chocolate cookies. Lacking baker’s chocolate, she chopped up a Nestlé chocolate bar, thinking it would melt during baking. To her surprise, the chunks held their shape and became delightfully soft. Thus, the first chocolate chip cookie was born.
A smart partnership
Given the immediate success of her cookies, Ruth Wakefield struck a deal with Nestlé: in exchange for publishing her recipe on chocolate packaging, she would receive a lifetime supply of chocolate. Thanks to this clever agreement, the chocolate chip cookie became a national — and later international — sensation.
Unlimited creativity
Today, cookies come in countless variations. Bases can be enriched with dried fruits, nuts, caramel, spices, or even candies. Each country has even developed its own version: in Italy, “biscotti” are twice-baked for extra crunch; in France, cookies are often softer and made with dark chocolate or praline; in Australia, “ANZAC biscuits” commemorate historical events.
Yet, what remains constant is the cookie’s spirit: an accessible treat, easy to make, and able to adapt to all tastes. Behind its simple appearance lies a rich history of cultural exchange, happy accidents, and universal indulgence.
There you have it — now we know a bit more, and I’m sure, like me, you’ve enjoyed discovering the fascinating story of cookies!
Back to our giant pistachio and white chocolate cookies
Already available on the blog:
- the terrific Martha Stewart chocolate cookies
- the chocolate and praline cookies
- the ultimate chocolate chip cookies
- the tahini and chocolate chip cookies
- the soft cranberry, chocolate, and praline cookies
- the giant American cookies
- the chocolate and pecan cookies
- and the gooey-centered cookies
My tips
To make these giant pistachio and white chocolate cookies a success, I have a few tips for you. First, I wanted to highlight pistachio in three forms: nuts, paste, and praline. If you love pistachios…
Also, you’ll see in the ingredients list that I recommend using different types of sugar. This subtle balance will give the cookies an amazing texture. However, if you don’t have vergeoise sugar, you can use brown sugar or regular white sugar. As always, ingredient quality is key.
Lastly, note that baking times are quite precise, but they may vary depending on your oven.
Required utensils:
A mixing bowl (“cul-de-poule”),
A whisk,
6 round pastry rings (8.5 cm),
A saucepan,
A baking sheet,
A silicone baking mat (or parchment paper),
And a disposable piping bag.
There you go — a lot of information to create these giant pistachio and white chocolate cookies, but I think it was totally worth it!
Let’s head to the kitchen now.
Recipe, Chef!
Gros Cookies Pistache et Chocolat blanc
( Vote !) 
Loading...Ingredients
- Cookie Dough
- 120 g soft salted butter
- 1 large egg
- 70 g granulated sugar
- 15 g vanilla sugar
- 30 g light brown sugar
- 150 g wheat flour (preferably T55)
- 2 g baking powder or ½ teaspoon
- 2 g baking soda or ½ teaspoon
- 1.5 tablespoons pistachio paste
- 40 g white chocolate chunks
- Filling
- 40 g pistachio praline
- 40 g unsalted pistachios
- 20 g sugar
Instructions
Cookie Dough
Place the butter in the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk until the butter is very soft.
Add the sugar, vanilla sugar, and brown sugar. Mix until the mixture is almost creamy.
Add the egg.
Mix until you get a homogeneous mixture.
Finally, add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
Mix until you get a homogeneous mixture.
Form a log, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for one hour.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Shape 6 balls of dough of equal size.
Place them into your pastry rings set on the baking sheet.
Slightly flatten the balls and top them with the white chocolate chunks.
Bake for 11 minutes, then lower to 160 degrees and bake for another 4-5 minutes (your cookies should be lightly golden).
Leave on the baking sheet until completely cooled.
Topping
Melt the sugar in a saucepan until you get a fairly light caramel.
Immediately remove from the heat. Off the heat, add the pistachios and stir quickly.
Pour the caramelized pistachios onto a baking mat.
Once cooled, separate them from each other.
Pipe large drops of pistachio praline onto your cookies.
Sprinkle with pistachios.
Enjoy!
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