pomegranate white chocolate pistachio cookies

christmas cookies and milk

It’s almost time to think about Christmas. The neighbourhood we are living in has fully embraced the season, with late night festive shopping and decorations on the main street. Last night we bundled up and strolled down the snowlined street in Inglewood, where the local stores served wine and Christmas chocolates and displayed their Christmas art in the windows, attempting to outdo their neighbours’ window displays. With hot chocolates and just-bought homemade mittens clutched in our hands we enjoyed flickering lights and the hustle and bustle of the season.

And this morning, while the snow blows past the windows, we sit by the fire and enjoy Christmas cookies with milk. White, green and red. The pomegranate, appearing at every store and market, is so often used in salads and on cereal. But it does, in fact, bake up beautifully in cookies. The crunch of the arils is softened, the sweetness offset by the saltiness of pistachios. The white chocolate slightly caramelised and melty from the oven..

stach
pommie and pistachio
christmas in a cookie

If you, like me, have always deseeded a pomegranate using the painstakingly technique of “pick each aril out one at a time” then you must watch this. Really, the seeds just fall out. Thanks Korena for the tip and the inspiration to bake with this strangely wonderful fruit!

the easy way to deseed a pomegranate - just pull apart, turn over a bowl and bang with a wooden spoon

Pomegranate White Chocolate Pistachio Cookies
Recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup raw cane sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white chocolate, roughly chopped (I quite like Callebaut from Superstore’s Bulk Bins)
3/4 cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
1/3 cup pomegranate arils

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars together until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

3. Add the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just incorporated.

4. Stir in the pistachios and white chocolate. Gently mix through the pomegranate arils or to prevent the pink from leaking, roll the dough balls, about 1 tablespoon per cookie, and press 6 arils into each. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

pistachio, pomegranate, white chocolate cookies for Christmas

7 thoughts

  1. I love pomegranate so much but would never have thought to use it as a baking ingredient. The recipe sounds amazing, and your photos are beautiful. I will definitely have to give it a go. Thanks for the inspiration.

  2. Pingback: Mindblowingly simple coconut sauce: 3 ingredients to weeknight bliss | Two Spoons

  3. Pingback: Balsamic Pomegranate Chicken on Barley Risotto | De La Casa

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