Friday, March 21, 2014

Pistachio Cake

I love eating sweets, making sweets, learning new types of sweets to make, and sharing homemade sweets. It was a given that I was going to enjoy the new book A la Mere de Famille from the Parisian shop of the same name, and I recently received a review copy. It first opened in 1761 as a grocery shop on land that at the time was a farm. Today, that property is on the Rue de Provence in the Faubourg-Montmartre quarter, and there are other locations as well. A timeline of the shop’s owners and its evolution is given in pieces spread throughout the book. There are also profiles of customers revealing how long they’ve shopped at A la Mere de Famille, which location they frequent, their favorite treats, etc. It’s clear that the clientele cherish the shop, the confections, the window displays, and the pretty, orange packaging. I hope to visit the original location one of these days. The recipes include cakes, chocolates, candies, jams, cookies, frozen treats, and syrups. There are delicate-looking Chocolate-Mendiant Lollipops which are swirls of piped, tempered chocolate onto which dried fruits and pistachios have been set. Speaking of pops, there are also Vanilla, Milk Chocolate, and Hazelnut Marshmallow Pops which are homemade vanilla marshmallows on a stick dipped in chocolate and then topped with nuts. There are caramels in various flavors, and I can’t wait to try the Cherry Caramels. And, there are nougats which I’ve wanted to attempt for the longest time but never seem to be ready to do so on a low-humidity day. The candied fruits and pate de fruits are delightfully colorful, and the ice cream sundaes and ice pops look impossible to resist. The first recipe I tried was the Pistachio Cake baked in a loaf pan with a crunchy topping of chopped nuts. 

The cake is made with pistachio paste which was made by toasting shelled pistachios and grinding them in a food processor. A sugar syrup was made and added to the ground nuts while pureeing. The pistachio paste recipe calls for orgeat syrup which I love, but I was out at the time and since such a small amount was needed, I used some almond extract instead. The paste can be made in advance and refrigerated for about a month. To begin the cake, eggs and sugar were whisked together in a mixing bowl, and cream and pistachio paste were added. Flour and baking powder were folded into the batter before melted butter was added, and it was poured into a parchment-lined loaf pan. Chopped pistachios were sprinkled on top. It was placed in a 400 degree F oven for five minutes, and then a lengthwise incision was made in the top of the cake. It was to be placed back in the oven with the temperature reduced to 300. I think there was a typo in the recipe because the baking time of 35 minutes at 300 degrees F was off. It needed more like 55 minutes and/or a higher temperature. The cake baked into a pretty arched top studded with chopped nuts. 

First, I have to tell you that the pistachio paste will not win any beauty contests, but the aroma and flavor are truly lovely. And, I’m glad to have enough of it leftover to use in the Pistachio Nougat. It gave the crumb of this cake a pretty, pale green color. It’s a buttery, nutty, delicious pound cake that’s easy to make. I can tell I’m going to have fun with all the recipes in this book. 

Pistachio Cake 
Recipes reprinted with publisher’s permission from A la Mere de Famille

Preparation time: 15 minutes 

Makes two 6-by-4-inch cakes or one 9-by-4-inch cake 

4 eggs 
1 1/2 cups sugar 
1/3 cup whipping cream, warmed 
3 1/2 tbsp pistachio paste 
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 
1 1/2 tsp baking powder 
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 
Handful of chopped pistachios 

MAKING THE BATTER 
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until the mixture is pale and thick. Add the cream and pistachio paste and whisk until combined. Fold in the flour and baking powder. Finally, stir in the butter. The batter should be smooth and shiny. 

BAKING 
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two 6-by-4-inch or one 9-by-4-inch loaf pan(s) with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the chopped pistachios over the top. Bake for 5 minutes, then make a lengthwise incision in the top of the cake with a sharp knife. Lower the oven temperature to 300°F, then return the cake to the oven for about 35 minutes (mine required a longer baking time of about 55 minutes), until the cake is golden-brown and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out of the pan. Cool completely before serving. (The cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.) 

Chef’s tip: To keep the cake moister, wrap it in plastic wrap as soon as it comes out of the oven and allow it to cool like that. 

Pistachio Paste 

Makes about 1 pound 

Preparation: about 15 minutes 

1 1/2 cups blanched pistachios 
1/2 cup sugar 
2 tbsp water 
1 1/2 tbsp orgeat syrup (see chef’s tip) 
2 tbsp plus 1 tsp hazelnut oil 

PREPARING THE SUGAR SYRUP Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the pistachios on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water and cook over medium-high heat until the syrup registers 250°F on a candy thermometer. 

MAKING THE PASTE Put the pistachios in a food processor and process until they are finely ground. With the food processor running, slowly pour the hot sugar syrup through the feed tube and continue to process until combined. Add the orgeat syrup and hazelnut oil and continue to process until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Transfer to an airtight container. Store the pistachio paste in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. 

 Chef’s tip: Orgeat syrup is an almond-flavored syrup that is often used in cocktails. It is available in most good liquor stores. You can use this pistachio paste in many ways—try making a pistachio-based cream instead of an almond-based frangipane in a pear tart. Mmm. . . 

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26 comments:

  1. Divine, I'm sure! It looks perfect.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  2. That is one beautiful loaf cake. And with a pound of pistachios! I can practically taste how wonderfully nutty it is just from looking at it on the screen.

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  3. Delicious looking cake, I love the pistachios on the outside :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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  4. Thanks for sharing this great recipe! Sometimes I buy pistachios and then searching for recipes until I find something I like.. :) The color is lovely, I will try it next time I have pistachios.

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  5. Exquisite! I am very sure this tastes beyond delicious with all the pistachios!

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  6. Pistachio paste? Who da thought? Love the idea of a paste in this recipe Lisa and of course all those goodie Pistachios on top! I'm so glad I have a board just for Pistachios, will be pinning! Thanks for sharing, Lisa...

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  7. This is one of those desserts that look beautiful too. It reminds me that I forgot to get the pistachios at the store on my way home. It is midnight so there is always tomorrow.

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  8. LOVE, LOVE this cake! It is on the must make list!

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  9. I love pistachios! This is right up my alley!!!

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  10. That book is high on my wishlist but I didn't know it was named after the shop! Haha... I've seen it at a friends but just quickly browsed through it and love the look of the book. And this cake! That is so gorgeous with the pistachio!

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  11. Wow! What an old shop and so much history. I think it's even older than Australia! (Since European settlement). I'd love to try the marshmallows dipped in chocolate and covered in nuts. I think the cake is quite pretty! xx

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  12. Love the idea of using pistachio in a cake!

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  13. Oh, how my mouth waters seeing those green crumbs. Divine, Lisa!

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  14. Pistachios are my weakness.
    This cake looks irresistible!

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  15. lovely loaf...we must make this today and sure its going to be cleaned off within sometime...thanks for sharing :-)

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  16. Every time I want to buy a new cookbook (which happens quite often, I admit it) I know I'll find interesting ideas here, Lisa. This cake looks amazing! I wish I could have a slice right now. ;)

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  17. I love the idea of pistachio paste! I actually kinda like the way it looks, although you're right that it's not conventionally "pretty." I'll bet the flavor is awesome, though, and that's what matters in my book. Terrific stuff -- thanks.

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  18. pistachios are currently my favorite nut but i rarely splurge on them. what a great way to feature them, lisa!

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  19. This looks delightful - green is my favourite colour.

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  20. Such an interesting cake using pistachio...I like how it turned out...green...somehow I never thought in making pistachio paste...
    Thanks for the recipe Lisa...hope you are enjoying your week :D

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  21. What a beautiful cake! Wow! I can buy pistachio paste at our market... never have but I stare at it a lot. The idea of this cake is wooing me seriously. Lovely! I should check out this cookbook which I imagine is originally in French?

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    1. The book was originally published last fall, and US version came out this year. But, I'm not sure if last fall's version was in French.

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  22. Looks lovely! I wonder whether I can use roasted and salted pistachios? That is all that I can find (already shelled).

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    1. It could make the paste too salty. But, you try rinsing and draining the pistachios to remove some salt, and then place them in the oven just long enough to dry them before proceeding.

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  23. I love pistachios. I am going to have to try this one. It sounds wonderufl. Thanks for the introduction.

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  24. Lisa, I have several bags of pistachios and this bread is screaming to be baked! Thank you for sharing because I really need more recipes to use one of our favorite nuts, instead of just shelling and eating them as a snack. I hope that you're having a delightful spring! Sorry I'm so late in replying to your comment back in February, but this spring semester has been crazily over-demanding and I am looking forward to when my job ends in August! I miss blogging and chatting with my friends SO MUCH. Once again, thank you for the lovely bread recipe!
    Hugs,
    Roz

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