When you search online for pistachio paste or pistachio spread recipes, you may find that there seems to be no limit to the recipes you can use it inBecause pistachios are so rich in nutrients, they are a popular choice for healthy snacks, and the paste resulting from grinding and blending pistachios and water is just as healthy.
Knowing that, how can you determine which ones to try first? To help you decide, here are some of the best ways to use pistachio paste or pistachio spread.
Pistachio Ice Cream
The simplest pistachio ice cream recipe calls for just two ingredients – vanilla ice cream and pistachio pasteIf you want to make your own completely from scratch, you’ll need:
- ¾ cup pistachio paste or spread
- 2 cups milk (preferably full-fat milk)
- 4 egg yolks, ¾ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup whipping cream
You can add some pistachios if you’d like, too; just make sure they’re shelled, toasted, and chopped.
Make the ice cream like you would any other, just dividing the sugar and adding half to the pistachio paste and reserving the other half for when you make the custard base you’ll be adding the whipping cream to later.
Vanilla and Pistachio Cupcakes
A slightly decadent take on vanilla cupcakes, this recipe calls for just a tablespoon of pistachio paste plus the following:
- 3 eggs
- 150 grams of butter
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 120 grams of cream cheese
- 150 grams of sugar
- 190 grams of all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon of icing sugar
- Some almond paste to make decorative flowers
To make the cupcakes, combine the ingredients, except for the cream cheese, pistachio paste, 50 grams of butter, and icing sugarThese last four will be used for the icing that will hold the almond paste flowers in placeYou can leave out the almond paste flowers if you like, thoughThen make cupcakes like you normally would, and top with chilled icing.
Pistachio Pudding
If you’ve made pudding before, then this recipe shouldn’t be too difficult for youYou’ll need:
- A cup of pistachio paste
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups whole milk (and two extra tablespoons of the same)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 whole egg and two large egg yolks
- ¼ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- For the garnish, you can use whipped cream and some chopped pistachios.
To make the pudding, combine the paste with the two cups of milk and cook over medium-high heat, making sure to whisk occasionally to break up any clumps¼ cup sugar, the whole egg and yolks, cornstarch and salt go into a food processor, which you’ll then process until well combinedSlowly add ½ cup of warm milk to this mixture to temper the eggs before adding back into the saucepanStir constantly until the pudding starts to thicken, then remove it from the heat and add the butter and vanilla until the butter is meltedOnce the pudding is chilled, you can serve it with chopped pistachios and whipped cream.
These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to recipes you can use pistachio paste or pistachio spread in, so you can definitely find others to try outIf you want to buy pistachio spread in Australia, visit this page to get started.