The Culinary Connoisseur
Eat Paste!
11
Feb
Feb
No—we don’t mean paste as in glue!
Nut butter or paste is a spreadable food made by grinding
nuts until their natural oils are released.
They had a high natural fat content but it is a fat that is actually
good for you.
Nut pastes or nut butters are becoming increasingly
popular among both professional and home bakers. Nut butters are naturally gluten-free, trans
fat-free and low in carbohydrates. They add a buttery mouth-feel to baked goods
and work as a thickener. In general, tree nuts are a good source of unsaturated
fat, linolenic acid and beneficial omega 3 oils and they are usually free of preservatives
and artificial colors.
Deeply roasted nut butter adds a rich flavor and can help
compensate for the bland taste of some gluten-free blends. Nut butters work
especially well to add flavor in brownies, bar cookies and sugar cookies, both
gluten-free and traditional. Nut butters are also widely used in energy bars to
bind the ingredients while adding protein.
Pistachio paste, in particular has been gaining a
following once consumers taste baked goods that contain this pretty green
ingredient. We like both the flavor and color it imparts to cookies, meringues
and mousses. Our friend, Chef Efrat Leibfroind introduced numerous recipes using
pistachio paste during her last visit to the US when she taught culinary
classes. The students were excited by this new taste sensation and we have made
it available to the home baker.
Try some of our new recipes using our pistachio paste:
This pretty green pie makes one 9-10 inch delicious
dessert.
For the pie crust:
12-14 chocolate graham crackers
3 tablespoons margarine, softened
3 tablespoons sugar
For the filling:
2 eggs
6 yolks
½ cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
½ cup pistachio paste
2 cups whipped topping, defrosted
Bittersweet chocolate for garnish
Chopped pistachios for garnish
Process graham crackers in the food processor with the
margarine and sugar until finely ground. Press into a 9” pie plate or
springform pan and refrigerate.
Beat together the eggs, yolks and confectioners’ sugar in
a heat-proof large bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering
water. Cook the mixture stirring with a whisk until the eggs are slightly
thickened.
Remove the bowl from the heat and place on your
countertop. Stir in the pistachio paste, which will help cool the
mixture.
Beat the topping until stiff. Fold it into the
cooled pistachio mixture. Pour or pipe mixture into the prepared pie
shell. Top with chopped pistachios and chocolate curls then cover loosely
and freeze for at least 6 hours or until firm.
These crumbly cookies melt in
your mouth as you enjoy them!
2 sticks (8 ounces) margarine,
softened
½ cup pistachio nut paste
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water
3 cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup chopped, toasted, and
salted pistachios
Powdered sugar for rolling
Preheat oven to 325°F and line two cookie sheets with
parchment or silpat pan liners.
Cream the margarine, pistachio paste, and sugar in your
electric mixer. Blend in the vanilla and water.
Mix in the flour and baking powder until the dough is
smooth and stiff. Blend in the nuts.
Use a medium cookie scoop to portion dough into 4 dozen 1
inch cookies. Dampen your hands and roll cookies into balls. Place on cookie
sheets and bake for 18-25 minutes, until a light golden brown.
When cool, roll in powdered sugar. Store in an air-tight
container for up to three weeks. If the confectioners’ sugar dissolves into the
cookies you can roll again in powdered sugar before serving.