Nigella seeds, also known as black caraway or black cumin seeds, come from a flowering plant native to the Middle East and North Africa and look eerily similar to sesame seeds (one time I accidentally sprinkled them all over my sushi…). I wish I could describe its flavor, but honestly it’s so unique that I encourage you to go out and buy it and try it for yourself. It’s often paired with salty dairy (like labneh! Or feta!) or sprinkled on top of breads (like pide) or in desserts (like this recipe right here!).

Nigella is a staple spice for me - and yes, although it’s a seed it’s still considered a spice. Nigella + pistachio, two Middle Eastern powerhouses combined together in a crumbly, shortbready, carby, buttery cookie? Yes please.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

2 egg yolks + 1 whole egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2/3 + 1/2 cup shelled, salted pistachios

1/4 cup nigella seeds**

1/2 cup Demerara or raw sugar

**nigella seeds can be found in Middle Eastern/Mediterranean specialty grocery stores or online

DIRECTIONS

In the bowl of a food processor, add 2/3 cup pistachios and chop into small pieces, not too finely into a crumb. Set aside pistachios in a bowl to be used in the cookie dough. Add remaining 1/2 cup pistachios in the food processor, this time grinding them into a fine crumb. Save these pistachios for rolling the cooking dough in prior to baking. Note: if your pistachios are not already roasted and salted, toss shelled pistachios with 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tsp. kosher salt and roast on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 350ºF/180ºC.

Using a stand mixture with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until just fluffy (you want it fluffy, but not too fluffy, so don’t go crazy!). Add in the egg yolks, one at a time, and then the vanilla extract, mixing until incorporated. Add in the flour, 1 cup at a time, and mix until a dough forms, scraping down the sides to ensure everything is incorporated; the dough should be pretty creamy. Add in small chopped pistachios and nigella seeds and mix until just incorporated.

Place a large piece of plastic wrap flat on a counter or cutting board. Scoop half the dough onto the center of the plastic wrap and form into a log with your hands. Wrap dough with plastic wrap and roll, to form a round-log, or press to flatten each side into a square-log. Repeat with the other half of dough.

Refrigerate dough logs for at least 3 hours, and up to 2 weeks. Pro-tip: you could freeze dough for up to 6 months, placing in the fridge one day prior to baking, to have freshly baked cookies anytime.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Combine finely ground pistachios and Demerara sugar in a shallow bowl. Beat whole egg and pour into a shallow bowl. Unwrap dough logs from plastic wrap and roll into egg mixture, and then pistachio-sugar mixture, until well coated. Slice dough into 1/2 inch cookies, and placing cookies on a greased baking sheet (cookies won’t spread too much, so no need to spread them out on the baking sheet as you would regular cookies).

Bake cookies for 12 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Let cool for at least 30 minutes.

store: in an airtight container for up to 1 week; baked cookies can keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.

diet: vegetarian

eat it with: coffee, crumbled on top of ice cream.