Ingredients
Makes 12 cookies
For the crunchy pistachio filling
50g Antoniou Fillo Pastry
100g pistachio cream/ spread
For the cookie dough
300g plain flour
65g cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200g brown sugar
100g caster sugar
1 egg
To decorate
30g pistachio cream/ spread
30g pistachio nuts, chopped finely
Method
To make the crunchy pistachio filling
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius, fan forced.
With the Fillo Pastry still rolled, slice the pastry into 1cm thick strips. Place it in a food processor and process it until it is chopped into small pieces (You can instead chop this finely with a knife if you don’t have a food processor).
Spread the pastry onto a small baking tray and bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is a deep golden colour. While the pastry is baking, remove the tray from the oven every 7 minutes and toss the pastry around. This will ensure it cooks evenly. Transfer the pastry to a bowl and allow to cool completely.
Add the pistachio cream to the pastry and mix until well combined.
To make the cookie dough
Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into a bowl. Add the salt and mix the ingredients until well combined.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add the egg and beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients, a little at a time, and beat until combined. Place the bowl of cookie dough in the fridge for 15 minutes (this will make it easier to handle).
Line three large baking trays with baking paper (the cookies will spread as they bake, so it’s important not to position the cookies too close together).
Measure out 75g of dough for each cookie. You should end up with 12 in total. Roll each 75g of dough into ball, flatten it onto the palm of your hand and add two heaped teaspoons of the crunchy pistachio mixture in the centre. Fold the cookie dough over to conceal the pistachio mixture and roll it into a ball. Transfer it to your baking tray. Repeat with remaining dough and pistachio filling.
Decrease the oven temperature to 180 degrees Celsius fan forced. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Drizzle with pistachio cream and scatter with pistachio nuts.