Combine molasses with butter and sugar in saucepan; heat, stirring just until butter melts. Don't boil. Cool. In a separate bowl, mix flour, spices, salt, ground pistachios, and baking powder. Add egg and cooled syrup mixture and blend to a dough. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

 

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. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes or until light golden at edges. Cool on wire racks.

 

For decoration: 1/4 cup each chopped and whole shelled California pistachios.

 

Makes 30 cookies.

 

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