Pistachio paste

I’m going to quickly go over pistachio paste here because it serves an integral part of several desserts, including ice creams and frosting.

Pistachios are my favorite nuts. They are beautiful and super tasty! But sooo expensive! Anyways, as mentioned above, pistachio paste acts as a base for pistachio ice cream but also for frosting. So before I write about either one of them, I’ll share a recipe for making the paste. You could purchase ready-made pistachio paste but if you need it right away, you can make it yourself in no time at all, and really, it’s really not that hard. By the way, this recipe works for other nuts as well. If you want hazelnut paste, just follow the recipe below and, of course, substitute the pistachios for hazelnut! The paste could also be used as a spread if you are tired of the good old peanut butter!

Pistachio paste

Makes about 2 cups

ingredients

• 2 cups pistachios (preferably blanched and peeled, for a brighter, greener color)

• 3 tbsp water

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• 1/2 cup finely ground almonds

• Pinch of salt

• 1/8 tsp almond extract

directions

1. In a food processor, grind the blanched and peeled pistachios until you obtain an oily and pasty substance. This step may require a few minutes.

2. Add the powdered sugar, ground almonds and pinch of salt, and continue processing.

3. Add the water and almond extract, and continue running the food processor until the mixture is creamy and soft.

And that’s it! You’ve got pistachio paste! If you don’t need it right away, you can store it in an air-tight container, in the fridge for up to 2 or 3 weeks, but seriously, it never lasts that long!