Method

• 1.
  For the dough, place butter, icing sugar and lemon zest in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Whisk the flour, cornflour and 1/2 tsp fine salt in a medium bowl to combine and add to butter mixture. Mix on low speed until dough comes together. Scrape onto a piece of plastic wrap and squeeze into a fat, flat disc, ensuring there are no buttery streaks left. Chill for a minimum of 2 hours, or overnight.
• 2.
  When ready to roll, line a baking tray with baking paper. Remove dough from fridge and allow it to soften a little at room temperature to become malleable (it will crack if you roll from cold). Roll on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thick. Chill for 20 minutes. Use a 9cm fluted cutter to cut out rings and carefully transfer to prepared tray. Use a 4.5cm fluted cutter to stamp out centres, gently lifting them away. Lightly knead offcuts, re-rolling and cutting more shapes to create 12 rings in total. Chill for at least 30 minutes before baking, so shapes keep their sharp edges.
• 3.
  Preheat oven to 150°C/130ºC fan-forced. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cookies will be pale but will have lost the raw shininess and look matte and cooked. Turn oven off and leave in oven, with door closed, to cool slowly and make the cookies a little firmer.
• 4.
  When cooled, make the glaze. Place the icing sugar mixture in a small bowl and slowly whisk in the lemon juice until a runny, but not watery, consistency. If you overshoot with the lemon juice, add a little more icing mixture. You want the icing to be a thin, pouring consistency. Add a pinch of fine salt.
• 5.
  Set up a cooling rack over a tray. Working with one cookie at a time, carefully dip top of cookie into glaze to cover surface evenly, allowing excess to drain away, then quickly twist as you turn it over, glaze-side up and place on the cooling rack. After 2 cookies are dipped, sprinkle the pistachio on the wet icing and add a little grated lemon zest on top. Allow glaze to set firm, then serve.