Pistachio Lemon Chews

The best Italian cuisine takes the freshest local ingredients and treats them simply, and with respect. The same philosophy extends to Italian cookies as well. At my favorite bakery in Venice, I settled on chewy pistachio macaroons as my favorite. They tasted purely of the nuts, which came from Turkey and had a citrus edge. I found that California pistachios blended with lemon zest give these cookies the complexity of the original.

TIP: If you’re serving these to company, you can dust the tops with confectioners’ sugar.

makes about 3 dozen

gluten-free, dairy-free

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Place the sugar in a food processor and zest the lemon into it. Process until the zest is finely ground and incorporated into the sugar. Add the pistachios and process until finely ground. Add the egg whites and pulse just until the mixture is smooth.

3. Using a 1½-teaspoon (1¼-inch) cookie scoop or a teaspoon measure, drop the dough by rounded teaspoons onto one of the prepared sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.

4. Bake until the cookies are set and golden brown around the edges, about 15 minutes. While the first batch bakes, drop the remaining dough on the second sheet. Bake after the first sheet comes out.

5. Cool completely on the sheet on a wire rack.

MAKE AHEAD

The cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.