Pistachio frosting

As I have very often mentioned, I love, love, love pistachios! If I want a fancy dessert, chances are that I will resort to using pistachios because not only do they taste amazing, but they also provide a beautiful dash of green color. This works particularly well if I want to make something special for Christmas. Add cranberries or raspberries, and you are set!

I have looked long and hard for a frosting recipe that will not diminish in any way the color nor the taste of this amazing nut, and I think I’ve found it! It requires some pistachio paste, so I recommend that you make it before hand to save some time. For how to prepare pistachio paste, click here.

Pistachio frosting

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (more if needed)

• 3/4 cup pistachio paste

• Pinch of salt

directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and powdered sugar at medium/high speed, until the mixture is pale and fluffy. About 2 or 3 minutes.

2. Add the pistachio paste and a pinch of salt, and continue mixing at medium speed. Add more powdered sugar if the mixture is not as sweet as you would have liked or if it doesn’t have the consistence that you desire.

3. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula if needed, and mix at high speed for a minute or two.

And that’s it! Your pistachio frosting is done and it should have kept its green color! If you don’t need right away, you can store it in an air-tight container, in the fridge, for up to a week. What’s great with this frosting is that it’s not too sweet, and you don’t lose any of the pistachio’s flavor.

Enjoy!

Lemon curd

I love lemons. To me, they are synonym to brightness and freshness. They alleviate any meal and/or desserts they are added to. So, when I want to make a light and not too sweet dessert, I always turn to lemons. And lemon custards are my favorite things to prepare because they can be eaten alone, with a simple cookie or wafer on the side, or they can be added to tarts, creams, cakes, and the list goes on and on! Lemon curd is super easy to whip up and is a life-saver!

My favorite recipe comes from Patrice Demers, one of the best pastry chefs around, and certainly the best one in Montreal. If you speak French, I highly recommend that you check out his books, La Carte des Desserts, Les Desserts de Patrice and Parcours Sucré. The recipes look intimidating at first but don’t let appearances discourage you! Individually, each recipe is surprisingly easy to prepare and the chef makes clear and concise instructions as to how to assemble the desserts so they look original professionally made. His books, among others, have become my baking bible.

Back to the topic at hand, lemon curd. The important thing to know here, is that it must be prepared at least one day before. So plan ahead and accordingly!

Lemon curd

ingredients

• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 cup sugar

• 4 eggs

• lemon zest (2 or 3 lemons)

• 1 cup non-salted butter, cubed

directions

1. In a medium saucepan, heat lemon juice, zest and 1/2 sugar until boiling.

2. In a bowl, whip the remaining sugar with the 4 eggs until well combined.

3. While whisking constantly, pour the hot lemon mixture into the sugar/egg mixture.

4. Pour everything back into the pan and heat at medium/high heat. Continually whisk the mixture.

5. Put the cubed butter in the bowl on an electric mixer.

6. When bubbles start appearing in the lemon mixture, take it off the heat and pour it on top of the butter.

7. Turn the electric mixer on at medium speed and whip until the butter has melted and is fully incorporated into the lemon mixture.

8. Press a plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate over night.

And that’s it! The next day, you have a delicious, creamy lemon curd that can be used for any dessert! Seriously, I could just sit and eat spoonfuls of this stuff.