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Dark Chocolate, Pistachio & Smoked Sea Salt Cookies

August 14, 2012 by Joy the Baker 355 Comments

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I was going to start this post by saying ‘Please please don’t hug my back fat.   There’s this area on my back that you have no business squeezing, sir.  That side hug and subsequent finger clench was awkward for both of us’… but that seemed like an pretty tense way to kick things off around here.

I was going to talk about how I’m listening to entirely too much hip hop lately because all I can think about is champagne,VIP, and all the ladies that love me. It feels like talking about hip hop is like talking about Fight Club.  Not ok.   Plus… just saying the words ‘hip hop’ make me feel like a grandma wearing her baseball cap backwards.

Ok… Next!  What should we discuss?

YOLO?  Is it too late to talk about that?  …if you have to ask.  yes. 

Should I write about how sometimes I think my blog would be more popular if I were engaged or pregnant?  Should I write about how that thought makes me want to run full throttle into a wall?  Probably not.  That’s a little hot-button for these parts.  Those are just my weirdo backbrain thoughts anyhow… I know you’re mostly stoked to be here regardless of my… status (is that the right word?).

Should I write about how Pinterest sometimes stresses me… Oh nevermind!

Let’s just cookie.

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We really should make Chocolate Chip Cookies more often.  It’s exactly 87 times more awesome than annoying.  Let’s think of Chocolate Chip Cookies as edible air fresheners.

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Creamed butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla.  A luscious and very familiar scene.

Flour, salt, and baking soda are next.  It’s simple, really.

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Dark chocolate chunks are mandatory.

Salted pistachios are a luxury.

Some of the nuts are finely diced (almost into a powder), other pistachio chunks will be a bit more coarse.  The nuts are actually important.  They help support the structure of the cookie.

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Toss all of the ingredients together and will yourself not to sit down on the couch with a spoon and raw cookie dough.

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Unbaked cookies are generously sprinkled with Smoked Sea Salt.

I love pairing salt with sweets.  It really cuts through the sugar and makes amplifies the flavors of chocolate and brown sugar.  The smoked nature of the salt is just an added summer cookout bonus.

Also. Total side note.  I’m completely obsessed with this Burning Leaves Perfume from I Hate Perfume.  OBSESSED… but I haven’t made the splurge yet.  No one buy it before I do.  K.  Thanks.  I’m (mostly) kidding.  

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These cookies bake low and slow, at 300 degrees F for almost 20 minutes.  It’s a slow road to golden.

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 These cookies are everything they should be: studded with dark chocolate, flavored with pistachios, and salty like whaaat?  The smoked salt adds an extra layer of fancy.  It feels like campfire meets fine-dining meets ‘ooh my gosh I ate all the cookies’.

This recipe is adapted from Smitten Kitchen whom I love and respect… and whose Zucchini Rice Gratin I want to make immediately.

Dark Chocolate, Pistachio & Smoked Sea Salt Cookies

adapted from Smitten Kitchen 

makes about 24 cookies

Print this Recipe!

1/2 cup (1 stick)  unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips

1 cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped

smoked salt for topping

Place rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars together until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes.   Add the egg and beat in for about 1 minute.  Add vanilla extract and beat to incorporate.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add the mixture all at once to the butter mixture.  Beat on low speed until just incorporated.  Finally mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Dollop or scoop cookie dough by the 2 tablespoonful onto prepared baking tins.  Leave about 2 inches of room between each cookie.  Sprinkle generously with smoked sea salt.

Bake cookies for 18 minutes, or until just golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.  Cookies will last, well wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days… as if they’ll last that long.  

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Filed Under: Chocolate, Cookies, Nuts, Recipes

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Reader Interactions

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I Made This
Questions
  1. Amy

    May 17, 2022 at 3:31 pm

    Been making these since you originally posted and just wanted to send a big “Thank You for sharing!”This is still a favourite recipe in our house!

    Reply
  2. Pinky

    August 23, 2021 at 7:04 am

    An pretty?

    Where did you learn to write? It’s ‘a pretty.’

    Seriously, this is one of the easiest rules to master…

    Reply
    • Missy

      September 27, 2021 at 4:44 pm

      Yeah, so is the golden rule…

      Reply
  3. Barbara V

    May 27, 2018 at 10:31 am

    Have you tried using other nuts? I don’t have any pistachios. Pretty sure walnuts would be fine….Macadamias? Hazelnuts?

    Reply
  4. Allison

    December 26, 2017 at 1:26 pm

    OOOH these look so GOOD! I’ll have to add pistachio & salt to my next batch of gluten-free cookies: https://www.paleofx.com/paleo-diet-crispy-chocolate-chip-cookies/

    Reply
  5. SAS

    March 7, 2017 at 11:07 pm

    Omg…. I made these tonight and they are TO DIE FOR!
    This is definitely going in a favorites book!

    Reply
  6. Ani

    August 16, 2016 at 6:44 am

    Hi Joy,
    I’ve been star gazing and day dreaming over your recipes for some time but tonight was the first time I’ve actually made one – I started with these because, well pistachios, chocolate, smokey salt – nuff said!
    Turned out absolutely delicious even though I wasn’t sure what granulated sugar was and used what we call ‘raw sugar’ here in Oz ;)
    Re. babies and marriage and stuff? I have both in my life and as wonderful (and bloody hard!) as it is, personally I’m also fed up with bloggers painting an illusion of their perfect family life – so cheers to keeping it real, Joy! Back fat and everything :) can’t wait try another recipe…

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      August 16, 2016 at 7:13 am

      Right on right on!

      Reply
  7. Phyllis

    July 24, 2016 at 6:08 pm

    Will macadamia nuts work just as fine!

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      July 26, 2016 at 12:54 pm

      Yes, they would be delicious!

      Reply
  8. Renee

    May 12, 2016 at 12:21 pm

    I can’t wait to make these! What kind of pistachios do you use – roasted and salted?

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      May 24, 2016 at 9:13 am

      Yes, roasted and salted

      Reply
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