Pistachios are certainly having a moment, they’re everywhere right now, showing up in gelato, lattes, pastries, chocolates and cakes, but their popularity is nothing new.
They’ve been prized for thousands of years: celebrated in Persia as symbols of vitality and love, considered an aphrodisiac, and a star ingredient in the classic Persian Love Cake, a spiced, fragrant dessert meant to win hearts.
Legend has it that lovers would meet beneath pistachio trees to whisper secrets, and the nut’s vivid green kernels became a symbol of romance, fertility and celebration.
That mix of indulgence, romance and a pretty solid nutritional profile is what makes pistachios so timeless. They’re good for you, but they also make anything feel like a special celebration.
In these recipes, a saffron-infused raspberry sponge and a macaron chocolate bark, they bring colour, flavour, and a little history to the table.
Pistachio macaron chocolate bark
This is such a great recipe to have up your sleeve.
It’s very quick to make, yields plenty, stores beautifully in the freezer for months, and you can easily swap out some or all of the pistachios for other nuts and seeds (pistachio and pumpkin seed would be amazing).
It’s delicious, reasonably healthy, and perfect to keep in the freezer for a little something alongside your afternoon cup of tea.
Ingredients
• 1 cup pistachios, shelled
• 1 cup shredded or desiccated coconut
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil
• ¼ cup maple syrup or honey
• ¼ tsp (or more) salt
• 250g dark chocolate
• freeze-dried raspberries or dried rose petals, to decorate (optional)
Method
Chop the pistachios roughly, you want some very small pieces and some almost whole. Set aside 1 Tbsp for decoration and put the remainder into a bowl with the coconut.
In a small pan, melt the coconut oil with the maple syrup or honey until just combined, then pour over the pistachio/coconut mixture. Add the salt and stir. Taste at this stage, you may like more salt if you enjoy salty/sweet flavours.
Spread to about ½ cm thick (use wet hands to help you spread) on a lined tray and bake in a preheated 180°C oven for 10-15 minutes (set a timer for 10 minutes and keep a close eye after that).
It’s fine if the edges are brown and crispy while the centre is a little softer, the contrast in textures makes this bark lovely once broken up.
Cool completely. Melt the dark chocolate gently in a double boiler, then pour over the cooled pistachio/coconut mixture.
Top with the reserved pistachios, a scattering of freeze-dried raspberries, and rose petals if using.
Leave to set, then break into treat-sized pieces. Store in a container in the pantry for up to a week or in the freezer for several months. It doesn’t need to be thawed before serving.
Variations
• For Christmas, try topping with white chocolate and dried sour cherries.
• Swap the pistachios for almonds or sesame seeds.
• Replace the maple/honey with date syrup or golden syrup.
• Go decadent: use peanuts and pretzels, top with blended Medjool dates, and finish with milk chocolate for a salty/sweet Snickers bar alternative.
Pistachio, orange and saffron sponge cake
This is an easy riff on a Persian Love Cake, made with a classic butter-free sponge. Pistachios are folded through for extra colour and texture, with a hint of orange zest and saffron.
Leave out the saffron if you don’t have it, or replace it with ¼ tsp turmeric to keep the sunny golden colour.
This cake sometimes sinks a little in the middle once cooled, but that just means more room for cream and fruit! I love using a whole bag of frozen raspberries, they make it really special and lend juicy moisture to this airy sponge.
Ingredients
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 2 Tbsp boiling water
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ½ cup cornflour
• ½ cup plain flour (or use all cornflour for gluten-free)
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 70g pistachios, shelled
• Pinch saffron, steeped in 1 tsp boiling water
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 orange
• 500ml cream, whipped
• 500g frozen raspberries, thawed
• Icing sugar and edible flowers, to decorate
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line two 10-inch round cake tins, or one deep 10-inch tin.
Blitz the pistachios in a food processor to coarse crumbs. Pulse gently - you want breadcrumb texture, not paste.
Activate the saffron by steeping it in 1 tsp boiling water for 10 minutes.
In a stand mixer, whisk the eggs on high, adding the boiling water as you whisk. Continue whisking for about 10 minutes, until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar and whisk for another 5 minutes, until the mixture has increased in volume.
Sift the dry ingredients together and gently fold into the egg mixture with a spatula, keeping as much air in as possible. Fold through the vanilla, saffron, orange zest, and pistachios until just combined.
Spoon delicately into the prepared tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and set (a single deep cake may take longer).
Remove from the oven, invert the tins, and leave the cakes to cool upside down in their tins. Once cool, release and layer with whipped cream and raspberries.
If baking a single deep cake, you can top it as is, or carefully slice into 2-3 layers and spread with cream and berries. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with edible flowers just before serving.
