We defy you to not fall in love with these addictive, crispy lace-like cookies. They are quick and easy to make, with little clean up, and are the perfect accompaniment to summer sorbets or as a sidebar to a cup of coffee. Pistachios are Nourish the Planet heroes as they have a smaller water footprint than nuts like almonds, farmers can control pests with owl boxes, the shells can be burned to generate electricity, and the hull can be used for cattle feed. Nuts that fall outside the canvas during harvesting can be used as natural compost. The muscovado sugar (one of the least refined cane sugars available) gives these little gems a luxurious toffee-like richness due to its molasses content, and the spelt flour, an ancient grain, is a healthy choice over the everyday all-purpose wheat flour. As for butter, make sure it is from pasture-raised cows, not feedlot.

Pistachio and Lemon Lace Cookies

Makes about 24 cookies  |   Equipment: 2 baking sheets, lined with parchment paper

Ingredients

5 tablespoons (75 g) salted butter
1/3 cup (70 g) organic muscovado sugar
2 tablespoons Invert Sugar Syrup (recipe below)
1/3 cup (60 g) spelt flour
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup (25 g) coarsely ground organic pistachio nuts
Coarsely grated zest from 1 organic lemon
1 teaspoon Homemade Vanilla Extract

Method

1. Arrange two baking racks in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

2.  In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, sugar and syrup. With a small whisk, whisk regularly until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat to medium, whisking regularly until the mixture comes to a boil. Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the flour and salt until well incorporated and the batter begins to thicken. Whisk in the nuts, lemon zest, and vanilla.

3.  With a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon, drop 12 teaspoons of batter onto each of the baking sheets, leaving plenty of room for the batter to spread. Transfer the baking sheets to the oven and bake until the cookies are a  deep, golden brown, 10 to 12  minutes.

4.  Remove the baking sheets from the oven and set aside for at least 15 minutes. Once the cookies are cool and firm, carefully transfer them to an airtight container. Store up to 1 week at room temperature.

Invert Sugar Syrup

This homemade substitute for corn syrup is thick and golden and helps create a smoother mouthfeel and controls crystallization in frozen yogurt, sorbets and ice creams. It can also be used to hold fragile confections together, like the above above lace cookies. It’s a cinch to make and stores in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

 Makes about 1 3/4 cups (435 ml)   |   Equipment: A 2-quart (2 l) stainless steel pan

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups (450 g) unrefined organic cane sugar
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup (250 ml) water

Method

In the saucepan, combine the sugar, lemon juice and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, whisking from time to time, until the mixture is slightly thick and viscous, like corn syrup or liquid honey, 8 to 10 minutes. The mixture should not darken or caramelize. Be aware that the liquid will thicken as it cools. I prefer to err on the runny side rather than risking a syrup that is too thick and nearly impossible to pour. Transfer to a heatproof container with a cover and let cool.

This is an original recipe created for Nourish the Planet, a collaborative series by Patricia Wells and Emily Buchanan. © 2020 – All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce without permission.

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