White chocolate, pistachio and lemon cookies

Due to incorrect information given by the bookstore over the phone I arrived really early at the mall last Friday to get Nigella’s autograph; with all that time in our hands my sister and I needed something to do, so we ate lunch and then went to the movies. The options are pretty limited these days with “Iron Man 3” taking over half the theaters, so “Evil Dead” was our choice. The original terrified my teenage years and I thought that this version would be even scarier, but it turned out to be softer – at least in my opinion. I was expecting sheer horror after watching the trailer – I was so scared I couldn’t watch it properly and thought Zac Efron was in the movie when it was really Shiloh Fernandez (!) – but the 1981 version is a lot scarier. Needless to say, my sister liked the movie a lot. :)

I usually bake a lot on weekends but because my legs hurt so much I ended up resting more than anything. Slice and bake cookies are wonderful for times like those: if you have a log of dough in your freezer you’re only moments away from freshly baked cookies – and that is never a bad thing, right? :) If you agree with me, I suggest this recipe: the flavor combo is delicious and the dough can be kept in the freezer for up to one month – let it sit on the counter while you preheat the oven and the log will soften up a little, enough to be sliced.

White chocolate, pistachio and lemon cookies
from the always delicious and foolproof The Good Cookie: Over 250 Delicious Recipes from Simple to Sublime

195g (7oz) white chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup (95g) shelled unsalted pistachios
2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (226g/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
½ cup (88g) light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
finely grated zest of 2 large lemons
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the white chocolate in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to small pieces. Add the pistachios and pulse again until finely chopped.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in zest and vanilla. At low speed, mix in the flour mixture. Stir in the pistachio mixture. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
Divide the dough into two equal parts. Place each on a piece of parchment paper; shape dough into logs. Fold parchment over dough; using a ruler, roll and press into a 3.5 cm (1.4in) log – like Martha does here. Wrap in parchment. Chill in the freezer until very firm.
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Unwrap one log at a time (keep the other in the freezer). Cut into 6mm (¼in) thick rounds; space 5cm (2in) apart onto prepared sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown around the edges, 11-13 minutes. Cool completely on the sheets over a wire rack.

Makes about 50 cookies