Shelling pistachios and getting their skins off is so much trouble. I can only bring myself to go through this painful process when I think of making this most amazing pistachio cake.

You may choose to prepare your ingredients days ahead but I recommend keeping this for the day you plan to do your baking. Roasted pistachios and ground cardamom are best used fresh; their aromas have quite a short half life.

I left out the orange zest mentioned in the original recipe [taken from Epicurious]. I get the feeling that it might somehow overpower the delicate flavours of pistachio and cardamom. Maybe I’ll try it someday to prove myself wrong!

PISTACHIO & CARDAMOM CAKE

  

Ingredients:

3/4 cup shelled natural pistachios

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9-inch round pan.
  • Pulse pistachios until finely ground in a food processor.
  • Over low heat, roast ground pistachios until aromatic.

 

  • Leave to cool. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, ground pistachios and cardamom.
  • Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

 

  • Add pistachio mixture alternating with milk in batches.
  • Beat well after each addition just until combined.
  • Spread batter evenly in pan and level surface.

 

  • Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes.
  • Then invert cake onto rack and serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Chocolate addicts are going to love this one – Delicately thin chocolate flavoured crepes filled with freshly whipped dairy cream and warm chocolate sauce. A quick and easy and yummy dessert adapted from Hershey’s Kitchens Cocoa Black Forest Crêpes.

CHOCOLATE CREPES

  

Ingredients:

1 egg, room temperature

1/4 cup water

2 tbs light cream

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tbs cocoa

1 tbs sugar

1 tbs butter, melted

 

Method:

  • Blend eggs, water and cream together in a blender for 10 sec.
  • Add flour, cocoa, sugar and butter. Blend until smooth.
  • Leave batter at room temperature for 30 minutes.

 

  • Grease crêpe pan with a dab of butter before pouring batter.
  • Use 2-3 tbs for each crêpe and tilt pan to spread batter.
  • Cook over medium heat until surface begins to dry up.

 

  • Flip crêpe over and cook lightly on the other side.
  • Serve along with whipped cream and chocolate sauce.
  • Makes 5-6 gorgeous chocolate crêpes.
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