Do you remember the red pistachios? Do they still exist?
I loved those things. They got red dye all over my hands, but I always thought they tasted better than the regular kind. My grandparents always kept them around for me. And then one day, they disappeared. I haven’t seen a red pistachio since.
Things have a habit of disappearing, unfortunately. There’s a great poem by Elizabeth Bishop called “One Art” where she talks about what she calls “the art of losing.” It’s a great poem, and my English teacher self highly recommends it to you. But I sometimes get creeped out by how much I’ve lost without even realizing it until after the fact.
It’s normal, of course. My childhood houses are gone, the cities I grew up in, all in the past. And while I’d like to think that they’re still out there somewhere, it’s hard to factor in the existence of a house I no longer live in, or a city I haven’t seen in years. But that’s life.
Luckily, pistachios still exist, even if they’re not red. And they come in great flavors. If you’ve never tried a salt and pepper pistachio, you are missing out. And if you’ve never had pistachio cake, that needs to end right now.
This cake recipe was handed to me years ago by a friend, and I just never tried it. To be honest, it didn’t look right at first. Pistachio pudding mix existed? And I could put it in cake?!
Oh, I was such an innocent. Cake mix rocks, pudding mix rocks, and when you put them together, they create even more delightful results. In this case, you get a perfectly dense, does-not-taste-like-a-mix, beautifully green cake.
Just in time for St. Patrick’s, might I add! That’s right. I’m getting into the holiday spirit here. And the glaze pushes this cake right over the top. I put some almond extract into the glaze (which I would inhale straight if I didn’t suspect it tastes icky by itself) and that really made that pistachio flavor pop.
The thing is, we never notice some of our favorite things until they’re gone. Or people, really. I miss a lot of people. I miss places I grew up. I miss red pistachios. And while I hope never to miss pudding mix, you never know. The time is now. Cherish what you have!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Coat a bundt or tube pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a bowl, mix all of the cake ingredients together until everything is smooth and incorporated. Your batter should be nice and evenly green.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Depending on the size of the pan (a smaller and/or deeper pan has more baking time), bake for anywhere from 45-60 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool until the cake is no longer hot. Invert the pan onto a plate and continue to cool.
- While the cake cools, make the glaze. Combine the butter, almond extract, and powdered sugar. Gradually add the milk until the desired consistency forms. You want a thick glaze, but it needs to be liquidy enough to pour.
- Carefully remove the cake from the pan. Pour the glaze on the cake and let it set.
- Cut into slices and serve.
]]>
Anyway, the idea for these cookies came from a Godiva truffle. They have this summer ice cream parlor line, and the pistachio flavor is so incredible. I could eat way too many at once. They remind me a bit of marzipan, but with white chocolate in the mix. So amazing.
Instead of using green food coloring to make you think you’re eating pistachio, I just put the pistachios in the batter. Easy enough, right? And there’s some almond extract in there as well to make that lovely nuttiness really shine through.
As always, chill your dough. These cookies are not super thick, but they are nice and soft in the middle with crispy edges, which is appropriate for a cookie with nuts. You want to have that crunch in there!
Also, buy the pistachios already shelled. It saves a heck of a lot of time! And poke some into the top of each cookie before baking! It looks nicer.
Feel free to take a bite out of these guys! Or several. I did finish the cookie after I took the picture, don’t worry.
And enjoy the white chocolate pairing! It’s perfect for summer. Nice and light to go with those protein-packed nuts. Save the big heavy giant cookies for a cooler day!
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 and 1/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios (unsalted)
Instructions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla and almond extract and mix again. Add the dry ingredients and beat again until combined.
Fold in the white chocolate chips and pistachios. Put the dough in the refrigerator and chill, covered, anywhere from three hours to overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350. Make tall dough mounds about 2 tablespoons in size and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden at the edges. Do not overbake.
Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
]]>