Pistachio Lime Thumbies

Oh these cookies. I had the hardest time naming them. Pistachios. Lime. Shortbread. A delightful frosting. What name could capture all of that loveliness?! I took to social media and got lots of recommendations and Pistachio Lime Thumbies had to be the winner! 

Earlier this summer, I was baking from the cookbook The Great British Baking Show: Favorite Flavors for a foodie collab I have on Instagram and I was drawn to Pistachio Melting Moments. They were beautiful and so dang good.  However, they were also bit of work, as with most recipes in this cookbook. I think they have proved to be worth it, but not everyone thinks like me. So, I wanted to play with the recipe and create a simplified version. 

These Pistachio Lime Thumbies start as a simple shortbread with ground pistachios and a bit of lime zest. They get the thumbprint treatment to provide a little well for a lime buttercream frosting and a sprinkle of ground pistachio. Not too challenging and a flavor combination that is divine. But, if you want to skip the frosting, they could totally get the Russian Tea Cake treatment by bypassing the frosting and rolling them in some powdered sugar. Either way, they are TASTY! 

Ready to start baking? Let’s do this thing! 

Your Ingredients

Shortbread

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ⅓ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup flour 
  • ½ tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ tablespoon milk 
  • ¼ teaspoon salt 
  • ⅓ cup ground pistachios (I buy the lightly salted shelled pistachios from the snack aisle and grind them in my small food processor) 
  • Zest of one lime

Frosting

  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  • Pinch of salt 
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • Juice from one lime (1-2 tablespoons)
  • Splash of milk, as needed
  • Additional ground pistachios 

Your Steps to Pistachio Lime Thumbies

In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and mix until well combined. Combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Cream the flour mixture with the butter and sugar, mixing well. Stir in the milk and the pistachios, mixing until a ball is formed. 

(Note: For the pistachios, I like to purchase the lightly salted shelled pistachios from the snack food aisle at the grocery store. Then I grind them myself in a small food processor. Make sure they are ground well so they get fully incorporated. Also grind a little extra for sprinkling on the frosting) 

Remove the dough from the bowl, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for an hour. 

Once chilled, form into 24 balls, approximately a half of a tablespoon of dough. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and press down with your thumb to form an indent for the frosting, flattening a couple times. From here, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (325 on convect) and chill the cookies one more time while the oven preheats. 

Time to Bake!

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cookies are just starting to brown. Shortbread is easy to overbake so watch them carefully. Once done, remove and allow to cool. 

Meanwhile, make the frosting. Cream the butter and vanilla. Stir in the powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. Add the lime juice and cream until a smooth frosting is formed. Give it a taste test. If it is too tart, add a bit more sugar. If it is too thick, add a splash of milk (a tablespoon or so). 

Put into a piping bag (Or if you’re like me, a ziplock bag that I put in a cup to keep me neat. Then I just snip the corner) and pipe the frosting into the center of each cookie. You will likely have extra, but that’s better than not enough, if you ask me! Sprinkle with remaining ground pistachios. Allow the frosting to harden before packaging in an airtight container, assuming you can keep your family and friends from eating them all! 

A quick note

If frosting isn’t your thing, you can totally switch up these cookies. Rather than flattening them with your thumb, leave them as balls. Bake for 15 minutes and then roll the still hot cookies in additional powdered sugar. (Be gentle with the cookies. They break easily. I usually wait just a minute or two before I roll them.)

Pistachio Lime Thumbies

These pistachio lime thumbies are a delightful treat featuring shortbread cookies topped with a tangy lime frosting and sprinkled with ground pistachios.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 2 dozen

Ingredients
  

Shortbread Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter softened
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • ½ tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ tablespoon milk
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • cup ground pistachios see note
  • Zest of one lime

Frosting

  • 2 tablespoons butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • Juice from one lime 1-2 tablespoons
  • Splash of milk as needed
  • Additional ground pistachios

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and mix until well combined. Combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Cream the flour mixture with the butter and sugar, mixing well. Stir in the milk and the pistachios, mixing until a ball is formed.
  • Remove the dough from the bowl, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for an hour.
  • Once chilled, form into 24 balls, approximately a half of a tablespoon of dough. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and press down with your thumb to form an indent for the frosting, flattening a couple times. From here, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (325 on convect) and chill the cookies one more time while the oven preheats.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cookies are just starting to brown. Shortbread is easy to over bake so watch them carefully. Once done, remove and allow to cool.
  • Meanwhile, make the frosting. Cream the butter and vanilla. Stir in the powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. Add the lime juice and cream until a smooth frosting is formed. Give it a taste test. If it is too tart, add a bit more sugar. If it is too thick, add a splash of milk (a tablespoon or so).
  • Put into a piping bag and pipe the frosting into the center of each cookie. Sprinkle with remaining ground pistachios. Allow the frosting to harden before packaging in an airtight container.

Notes

For the pistachios, I like to purchase the lightly salted shelled pistachios from the snack food aisle at the grocery store. Then I grind them myself in a small food processor. Make sure they are ground well so they get fully incorporated. Also grind a little extra for sprinkling on the frosting.
I do not do a lot of pipping for frosting so I do not have pipping bags on hand. I simple slip a ziplock bag into a mug, putting the sides over the edge. Then I spoon the frosting into the bag, zip it up, and snip the corner. It does the trick for me!
If frosting isn’t your thing, you can totally switch up these cookies. Rather than flattening them with your thumb, leave them as balls. Bake for 15 minutes and then roll the still hot cookies in additional powdered sugar. (Be gentle with the cookies. They break easily. I usually wait just a minute or two before I roll them.)
Keyword Cookies, lime, lime zest, pistachio, pistachio cookies, pistachio shortbread, pistachios, Shortbread, shortbread cookies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Pistachio Torte

Sometimes you have those recipes that you revisit every few years and think, “Oh my gosh, why don’t I make this more often?! It’s so simple to make and is beyond delicious.” Pistachio Torte is one of those recipes in our household (Well, at least for me. Read on.)

At Thanksgiving, I asked the Mr what dessert he would like and without hesitation, he said, “Pistachio Torte!” He knows how good it is, and I simply forget. 

I pulled out the handwritten recipe, and giggled as it had minimal directions with it. (My friend Claire has told me it’s reminiscent of a recipe on The Great British Baking Show.)That’s okay, I have been cooking and baking long enough to know how to roll with the punches. And my goodness, I did forget how good it was and immediately resolved to share it out here so that everyone else can have this treat in their back pocket when they need to bring a dessert. 

A quick story

Before we start creating, I have to share another short funny story to go with this: I know this recipe came from my mother in law. It’s a go to for her (along with black raspberry torte). After we ate it for Thanksgiving, I asked my mom, dad, and sister how they felt about me making it for our Christmas celebration. My sister’s response was, “I am for it,” and my mom asked if I needed a recipe. This the conversation that followed:

Me: “No, I don’t need the recipe. If you have it, I must have given it to you because I got it from Matt’s mom.” 

My Mom: “I have had that recipe well before you were even a twinkle in our eyes.” (Sends the recipe in her handwriting) 

It was IDENTICAL to the recipe I got from my mother in law. There is about 15 years difference in age for our moms, so it seems odd that they would have been reading the same publications;  I can’t help but wonder where the recipe was that they both have it and it’s exactly the same. But that means it must be good, right? 

I’ve talked long enough. We are reading to start baking and creating right? Let’s go! 

Your Ingredients for Pistachio Torte

  • 1 cup flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup butter, soften
  • 2 teaspoons white sugar 
  • ¼ cup finely chopped nuts
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 8 ounces cool whip, divided
  • 2 packages pistachio pudding (3.4 ounces)
  • 2 ½ cups milk 

Your Steps to Pistachio Torte

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, cream the butter until smooth. Add flour, white sugar, salt, and chopped nuts. Mix until well combined. Press into the prepared baking pan. It will seem thin and as though you don’t have enough. You do. I promise (But if you want a thicker crust, I have done it in a 7 by 11 inch pan too). Bake for 8-12 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned. Allow to cool. 

Once the crust has cooled, Add the cream cheese to a large bowl and cream with a hand mixer. Add powdered sugar and 4 ounces of the cool whip. Spread on top of the cooled crust. 

Combine the pudding with the milk and mix according to package directions (I do this right in the same bowl, but you do you). Spread the pudding on top of the cream cheese layer. Allow to set just a few minutes. 

Finally, spread the remaining cool whip on top of the pudding and top with additional nuts if you care to. Serve up immediately or this dessert is a great one that can be prepped a few days ahead. Either way, you are sure to bring smiles to a lot of people’s faces.

Pistachio Torte

This layered pistachio torte is the perfect dessert for your next get-together. A quick crust, cream cheese filling, and pistachio pudding layer make a delicious treat!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 people

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup butter soften
  • 2 teaspoons white sugar
  • ¼ cup finely chopped nuts
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 8 ounces cool whip divided
  • 2 packages pistachio pudding 3.4 ounces
  • 2 ½ cups milk

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, cream the butter until smooth. Add flour, white sugar, salt, and chopped nuts. Mix until well combined. Press into the prepared baking pan.
  • Bake for 8-12 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned. Allow to cool.
  • Once the crust has cooled, Add the cream cheese to a large bowl and cream with a hand mixer. Add powdered sugar and 4 ounces of the cool whip. Spread on top of the cooled crust.
  • Combine the pudding with the milk and mix according to package directions. Spread the pudding on top of the cream cheese layer. Allow to set just a few minutes.
  • Spread the remaining cool whip on top of the pudding and top with additional nuts if you care to. Serve up immediately or this dessert is a great one that can be prepped a few days ahead.
Keyword cream cheese, dessert, pistachio, pistachio pudding, tortes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Other favorite desserts

Check out my baking page for all sorts of treats. But let me share some of my favorites below!