Pistachios have been growing in Sicily for centuries and my grandmother always had them in her pantry. Removing the shells was a tedious task and required a bit of patience. Today, one can find them shelled, roasted and salted.
These healthy, emerald green gems take center stage in these delightful little cakes. Because, my husband’s (current) favorite cookie is Sicilian amaretti, also made with pistachios, I decided to make this recipe for his birthday.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups pistachios, shelled, roasted, salted
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 5 eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 Orange, zest and juice
- Confectioners sugar
- Using a food processor, grind the nuts until finely chopped but, not a paste. Add the sugar and pulse to combine.
- In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks with a fork and then mix in the flour and 1 tablespoon each of zest and juice of the orange. Add to the processor with the pistachios, pulse until crumbly.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add to the nut mixture and pulse just until blended.
- Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers and fill evenly with the batter.
- Bake in a 350* oven for 20 -25 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean when they are done.
- When cakes are cool, remove the paper wrappers and dust with confectioners sugar.
