Green energy, green business practices... everything's going green these days! Luckily, most people don't eat green food, unless it's from the garden. Some festive cut-out cookies may offer a hint of green icing, but these pistachio cookies are green through and through — and ideal for St. Patrick's Day.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
Beat the butter, sugar, and vegetable oil in a bowl until combined, then add water and egg, beating until smooth. The mixture will look curdled at first, but will become creamy as you beat.
Add the pudding mix, vanilla, salt, and baking powder, beating until smooth; the mixture will turn a lovely pastel green.
Stir in the flour and nuts.
Drop the dough by the tablespoonful — (a tablespoon cookie scoop works well here) —onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2" between cookies.
Flatten the cookies, if desired, using a fork, the flat bottom of a drinking glass, or the end of the pusher from your food processor. If you don't flatten the cookies, they'll bake up in softly flattened mounds; they're lovely either way.
Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, until they're starting to brown on the bottom. Remove them from the oven, and cool right on the pans.
Store, well -covered, for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to a month.
