A friend recently brought me the precious gift of a jar of Sicilian pistachio cream made from the pistachios of Bronte. Almost as soon as she was out the door, I had a spoon at the ready to taste this really special treat. In Sicily, we would slather this nutty cream on slices of bread or buy pastries filled with its delicious goodness. The famous Bronte nuts, known as “green gold,” are grown on the flanks of Mount Etna and are a more vibrant green and plumper than pistachios we find here in the United States. Their taste is of the sun – an intense nutty, mineral flavor that pairs well with both sweet and savory.
These vanilla cookies are delicate and sweet, a perfect marriage to the nutty creaminess of their filling @ M. Becci
After much deliberation, I decided to use my special treat to make a pistachio tiramisu for a dinner party. The pistachio cream adds wonderful flavor to this classic Italian dessert. I used a cognac in place of the more classic Amaretto and dusted the top with a sprinkle of dark cocoa. The result was a very special dessert that will leave your dinner guests feeling pampered. Below I have also included another favorite way to use pistachio cream – as a filling for simple vanilla cookies that allow the flavor of the pistachio to shine through.
Pistachio tiramisù, topped with crushed pistachios and cocoa powder © | Dreamstime.com
The cost of pistachio cream from Bronte can be a bit high (only 1% of the world’s production comes from Bronte) but this decadent splurge is worth its price tag. You will forever cherish this little jar of “green gold!”
Buon appetito, Michele
Pistachio tiramisù
Makes 4 servings
•4 egg yolks
•4 tablespoons sugar
•1 ½ cups mascarpone cheese
•3 tablespoons pistachio cream
•1 cup heavy whipping cream
•Lady fingers
•Cognac
•Crushed pistachios
•Dark cocoa powder
Pistachio tiramisù is a just as delicious alternative to classic tiramisù © M. Becci
Directions:
Using a whisk or electric mixer, beat together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until thick and light yellow, about 3 minutes. Add in the mascarpone and pistachio cream until just combined. (NOTE: The eggs are not cooked in this recipe, which may be of a concern. If so, whisk the yolks and sugar in the top of a double boiler until light and thermometer reads 170 degrees F). In another large bowl, beat the whipped cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the cream into the pistachio mixture until incorporated.
Pour about ½ cup Cognac into a shallow bowl. Dip 1 ladyfinger into the Cognac, soaking it for a few seconds on each side. Arrange the ladyfingers in an 8-inch glass baking dish or 4 individual serving dishes. Repeat until the bottom of the dish or the bottoms of the individual dishes are covered, trimming the ladyfingers so they fit snugly. Spread about 1/3 of the pistachio custard mixture over the ladyfingers and sprinkle with pistachios. Repeat with another layer ladyfingers, custard and pistachios. Spread the remaining pistachio custard on top and sprinkle with crushed pistachios. Chill, covered, for at least 4 hours.
When ready to serve, dust with cocoa powder and additional crushed pistachios.
The best variety of pistachios are those from Bronte, in Sicily © | Dreamstime.com
Pistachio cream filled vanilla cookies
Makes 4 servings
For the cookies:
•½ cup butter, softened
•1 cup sugar
•1 egg
•1 tablespoon vanilla
•1 ⅓ cups flour
•¾ teaspoon baking powder
•¼ teaspoon salt
For the pistachio cream:
•16 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
•1 tablespoon pistachio cream
•¼ cup powdered sugar
•⅓ cup heavy cream
½ cup crushed pistachios, plus additional
La crema per farcire biscotti e tiramisù è fatta con crema di pistacchi di Bronte, mascarpone e panna
Directions:
Bake the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Beat the softened butter and sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until thoroughly incorporated. Drop about 1 teaspoon of dough, about 2 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Cool the cookies on wire racks.
Using a whisk or electric mixer, beat together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until thick and light yellow, about 3 minutes. Add in the mascarpone and mix the cream.
While the cookies are baking, make the filling. Place the mascarpone and pistachio cream in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix together until incorporated. Add in the powdered sugar and mix. Add in 1/3 cup of the heavy cream. If too stiff, add in a bit more heavy cream until desired consistency is reached. Stir in crushed pistachios.
Assemble the cookies: Once the cookies have cooled, place a few teaspoons of filling on the bottom half of a cookie and top with another cookies. Sprinkle the edges with crushed pistachios. Repeat until all the cookies are filled. Serve!
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