These cookies are a delicious variation from the traditional holiday gingerbread.

German Gingerbread Cookies

1/2 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each cloves, nutmeg and salt
2/3 cup ground California pistachios
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1 egg yolk, beaten with 2 teaspoons water
For decoration:
1/4 cup each chopped and whole shelled California pistachios

1. Combine molasses with butter and sugar in saucepan; heat, stirring just until butter melts. (Don’t boil.) Cool.
2. In a separate bowl, mix flour, spices, salt, ground pistachios and baking powder. Add egg and cooled syrup mixture and blend to a dough.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
4. Roll out dough into two (12-inch) rounds and cut out holiday shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheets, leaving 1/2-inch between them. Brush with egg yolk-water mixture. Decorate with chopped and whole pistachios.
5. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden at edges. Cool on wire racks.

Makes 30 (3-inch) cookies.

Tip: Pulse pistachios in a food processor until coarsely ground.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of the California Pistachio Board.