Cherry Pistachio Slice and Bake Cookies (Gluten Free) for #Baketogether

Cherry Pistachio Slice and Bake Cookies

I’m a bit late in posting this recipe for the December #Baketogether, but that’s how it has been lately in my neck of the woods. When I read Abby’s December recipe for Spicy Ginger Slice and Bake Cookies, my thoughts immediately came up with dried cherries and pistachios.

That’s because of a food memory that won’t go away. Years ago, I tasted a cherry pistachio cake while on a restaurant review. The bistro I visited was a shiny hopeful spot in a Michigan lake shore town that was climbing back from hard times. The bundt cake, with its drizzle of tartly sweet cherry sauce, was amazing. The restaurant has closed and the town still struggles, but that cake has not been forgotten. I probably should try to make one.

In addition to using dried cherries and roasted pistachios, I adapted Abby’s recipe by using a gluten-free flour. I’m not gluten-intolerant per se, but I do like baking with almond flour. I happened on this almond flour blend from Gluten Free Mama and decided to give it a try. It yielded a nicely crisp and slightly sandy textured cookie that my husband and I liked a lot.

Cherry Pistachio Slice and Bake Cookies

adapted from Abby Dodge

2 1/4 cups (10 1/8 ounces) all-purpose flour (I used an almond meal blend from Gluten Free Mama)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon table salt

12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup (7 ounces) raw cane sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 cup finely chopped dried cherries
1/2 cup chopped roasted pistachios
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract


Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl until well blended. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, about three minutes. Add the egg, chopped dried cherries, chopped pistachios, and vanilla and almond extracts, then beat on medium about one minute. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the dough begins to form moist clumps.

Dump the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Using the plastic as a guide, gently knead into a smooth dough. Shape into a 14-inch-long log, square or round, and wrap well in the plastic. Refrigerate until chilled and very firm, about 4 hours.

For baking, position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat oven to 350°F. Depending on how many cookies you are baking, line or two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a thin-bladed sharp knife, cut the dough into slices between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Arrange the slices about one inch apart on the prepared sheets. (If your cookies look uneven, reshape their sides with your hands. Press cookies lightly with the bottom of a glass to create smooth out the surface.)

Bake one sheet at a time until the tops look dry and the edges are golden brown, about 11 to 13 minutes. Move the sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies sit for five minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack and cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough using cookie sheets that are completely cold.