Vetted Recipes

Chef John's Orange-Pistachio "Greenies"

Ingredients

  • Wet ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Dry ingredients:
  • 2 cups shelled dry-roasted pistachio nuts
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt to taste (see footnote)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips (optional)
  • Glaze:
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice, or as needed
  • 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
  • 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, or as needed

Instructions

  1. Whisk 2 tablespoons orange zest into melted butter in a mixing bowl, followed by white sugar, until sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Whisk in eggs until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes. Stir 1 tablespoon orange juice, milk, and vanilla extract into egg mixture.
  2. Place pistachios into a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Add salt, baking powder, and flour to pistachios; pulse until combined, 3 to 4 times. Stir pistachio mixture into wet ingredients until batter is combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; generously butter a 9x9-inch square baking dish.
  4. Spread batter into prepared baking dish. Tap the dish several times on a sturdy work surface to eliminate air bubbles.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven until top is lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
  6. Stir 1 tablespoon orange juice with 2 teaspoons orange zest in a small bowl; mix in confectioners' sugar to form a thin, runny glaze. Drizzle glaze on top of pistachio bars and spread to cover top. Cut into squares once cooled.

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