Pistachio – Sweet Tooth Experiments

Rose Pistachio and Watermelon Sponge Cake

Posted on October 4, 2020 Posted in Cakes .

Rose Pistachio and Watermelon Sponge Cake

This recipe actually came from another bake where the watermelon layers were originally a watermelon jam. Instead of using strawberry jam a-la a traditional sponge cake I decided to use watermelon for a twist.

Outcome = I put way too much sugar in the jam originally and way too much jam in the sponge therefore the bake was a failure. On reflection I thought that a traditional sponge has cream and sliced strawberries so I could replace the strawberries with sliced watermelon. The cake was nice, and I was delighted at the crispness the sliced watermelon provided (originally thinking it would make the cake topple or crumble as soon as I cut into it – but it cut like a hot knife in butter).

Creaminess, crispness and fluffiness were all textures I had covered, but the crunch element was missing. This is what got me to think of adding pistachios and then rosewater (why rosewater? My usual pistachio combo always results in the inclusion of rosewater, they are just a lovely flavour pairing).

A refreshing cake that of course is delicious in taste AND textures.

I must also give credit where credit is due, the sponge cake recipe I have used is my base for all sponges, in which is a slight adaptation of Australian Women’s Weekly magazines prize winning Sponge recipe created by Natalie Dick.

Ingredients:

Sponge:

2 tsn plain flour
½ tsn bicarbonate of soda
1 tsn cream of tartar
Cornflour
4 eggs
150g caster sugar
½ tsn rosewater essence

Extra:

1/4 seedless watermelon
1 tsn rosewater essence
300ml thickened cream
1 tbsn icing sugar
50g shelled pistachios

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190c degrees and line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper.
Place the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar in 1 cup.
Top up the cup to the brim by adding the necessary amount of cornflour to fill the cup.
Sift the flour mix 3 times.
Beat the egg, rosewater essence and sugar with electric beaters until light and pale.
Add the flour to the egg mix and beat for 20 seconds on low or until just combined.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake for 20 mins or until the cake bounces back after touching the top.
Place the cake on a cooling rack until cold.
Meanwhile thinly slice the watermelon and cut away the rind.
Place the watermelon pieces onto paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
Beat the cream, extra rosewater essence and icing sugar with electric beaters until stiff peaks form.
Blitz up the pistachios in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumb consistency.
Cut the cake in half horizontally and place a cake layer on a plate.
Top the layer on the plate with ¼ of the cream.
Cut the watermelon to the same size as the cake layer and place on top of the cream.
Sprinkle ½ the pistachio mix on top of the watermelon.
Top the 2nd cake layer with ¼ cream and place cream side down into the watermelon.
Spread the remaining cream on top of the top sponge cake layer.
Dice the remaning watermelon and sprinkle on top of the cream.
Sprinkle the remaining pistachio over the cream.

Blueberry Cardamom Sponge Pudding recipe

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Rose Pistachio and Watermelon Sponge Cake

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Green Tea and Pistachio Eclairs

Posted on June 16, 2018 Posted in France .

Green Tea and Pistachio Éclairs

This recipe came to me when I was looking at pairing two strong, similar and complimentary flavours together, these being Green Tea (a core Asian slightly bitter tea) with pistachios (core Middle East staple nut).

To balance out the savouriness on the palette I then introduced the integration of white chocolate.

Though the mix of Asian, Middle Eastern and French (the origin of Eclairs ) palettes sounds bazaar and all over the shop this little treat is super tasty, delighting all that experience its uniqueness.

Ingredients:

Éclair:

90g butter
250g water
150g flour
1 tbsn sugar
¼ tsn salt
4 eggs

Filling & Icing:

400g cream
100g pistachios
45g Matcha
50 icing sugar
120g choc
40g butter

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200c degrees and place baking paper on 2 large baking trays.
Place the butter and water into a saucepan and stir on a medium heat until bubbles start to form.
Combine the flour, sugar and salt into a bowl and stir to combine.
Add the flour mix to the water mix and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mix comes away from the sides of the pan in a ball.
Remove the saucepan off the heat and leave for 5 minutes, allowing for the pastry mix to cool.
Beat the eggs in a bowl with electric beaters. Following add the pastry mix beating until the egg is fully combine and incorporated.
Fit a pastry bag with a 3cm tub nozzle and pipe 12cm pastry strips 3cm apart onto the baking paper. Cut the pastry ends with a wet knife.
Bake pastry in the oven for 10 minutes.
Turn the oven down to 190c degrees and bake for a further 20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffy and golden brown.
Turn off the oven and cut the éclairs in half horizontally. Following remove some of the pastry soft center from the éclairs.
Place the eclairs back in the oven for a further 10 minutes to dry out.
Following leave the éclair shells aside to cool completely.
To make the filling beat the cream until soft peaks form.
Place the pistachios into a food processor, blitz to a finely diced consistency.
Add 25g of the Matcha powder, the icing sugar and 70g of the pistachios into the whipped cream, beat until combine and firm peaks form.
Spoon the cream filling into the middle of half of the éclairs where you previously removed some of the centre. Top the cream filling with the remaining eclairs.
To make the ganache icing place the butter and chocolate in a saucepan on a low heat and stir until melted, combine and glossy.
Add 20g of the remaining pistachios to the ganache with the remaining 20g of Matcha powder, stir until well combined.
Spoon the ganache icing over the top of the éclairs.
Place eclairs in the fridge to set the ganache icing for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Sprinkle the remaining 10g of pistachios on the éclairs and enjoy.

Notes:

Matcha powder is green tea powder, the same powder used to make green tea ice-cream.

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Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake

Posted on November 13, 2014 Posted in Cakes .

Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake

In the background of my baking that you don’t see I have actually been trying to bake with Grapefruit with 5 attempts now. This sweet but sour citrus fruit is being very difficult with me.

I’ve trialed biscuits, slice and cakes in the past but this time FINALLY after much research with Grapefruit flavour parings and textures I have come home with the goods!

Who would have though that to complement and tone down the sourness of the fruit the best combo to Grapefruit is Pistachio, Ginger, Lemon and Rosewater…say what?

Seriously this cake is one not to pass on. With it’s Middle Eastern influence and European taste I dare anyone to produce a higher quality tasting Grapefruit cake!

Ingredients:

160g shelled, unsalted pistachios
150g butter
135g caster sugar
3 eggs
3 tsn rosewater essence (equivalent to 3tbsn rosewater)
2tbsn milk
2 tbsn lime juice
1 Grapefruit zest (or 4 tsn zest)
1+1/2 tsn ground ginger
240g self raising flour
1 tbsn bicarbonate of soda

For the grapefruit syrup:

1 grapefruit
110g water
2 tsn rosewater essence
90g caster sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 180c and line a 23cm spring form baking tin with baking paper.
Place 135g of the pistachios in a food processor and process until finely ground.
Roughly chop up the remaining 25g pistachios and reserve for the top for decorations.
Using electric beaters beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
Add in the eggs, beating in between each addition until pale and creamy.
Add the rosewater essence, milk, lime juice and zest beating in between each addition.
In a separate bowl combine the ground pistachios, flour, bicarb and ginger whisking to mix. Sift the dry ingredients into the liquid mix.
Using a spatula folder the dry ingredients into the wet until combine then pour into the cake tin.
Bake in the oven for 45 mins or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
To make the grapefruit syrup squeeze the juice of the grapefruit through a sieve and into a pan with the water, rosewater essence and sugar and gently heat until the sugar is dissolved.
Increase the heat and boil for 2 mins until the liquid resembles a thin syrup.
Using a skewer make holes all over the surface of the cake then pour the syrup over the top of the cake evenly.
Leave the cake to cool completely in its tin.
Once cold remove the cake from the tin and scatter with the remaining pistachio pieces.