Bright Green Pistachio Loaf

So a couple posts ago I talked about the new baking cookbook that I ordered. Well it's arrived and it's LOVELEIGH!

Here it is juxtaposed nicely alongside my heart cutting board:

Ok so, I decided that my first recipe from this would be the Pistachio Loaf. I love pistachios! Admittedly, part of my love is due to the fact that they are a beautiful colour, and I not only eat with my taste buds, but also with my eyes. But they are also lovely to the taste!


This seemed like a nice and simple recipe that wouldn't take too much out of me on a late evening baking bonanza. I have to say, because I'm too poor to own fancy electric gadgets, I had a couple extra steps in here to mix things well enough, but I hope I did it justice! Will find out tomorrow when I serve my experiment to some unsuspecting bbq guests!!


So here it is!


Ingredients:


For the Cake:
190 g unsalted butter softened and extra for greasing the loaf tin
190 g plain flour
190 g caster sugar (no one said this was a healthy recipe btw!)
3 large eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
25 ml soured cream
1 tsp vanilla extract (don't use that fake essence crap!)
100 g shelled pistachios roughly chopped


For the Glaze:
120 g icing sugar
2 tbsps water
40 g ground pistachios


Method:


First things first. If you're like me, and not only could you not obtain pre-crushed pistachios from the useless local shop, but you couldn't even get shelled ones....you get the joy of shelling them. So here's a couple pics of that fun time!

1) Preheat the oven to 170 DC (325 F) then grease the loaf tin with butter and dust with flour. (darn, just realised I forgot about the flour.....)


2) Using a hand-held electric whisk or electric mixer with the paddle attachment cream together the butter and caster sugar. I didn't have a fancy mixer, so i mixed by hand first, then used a crazy little electric mixing whisk.  Mix until pale and fluffy.  Add the eggs in one at a time, mixing each time you add one in. 

3) Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add this to the creamed mixture in two batches, making sure it's mixed in well each time.  If you're using a fancy mixer at this point as opposed to a plain ol manual whisk, then make sure the speed is on low. 

4) Add in the soured cream and vanilla extract, then stir in the chopped pistachios. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for 50-60 mins - bake until the spongey cake feels firm and a skewer comes out clean. 

Not yet cooked.

5) Allow the loaf to cool in the tin a bit, then turn it out and cool on a wire rack fully before adding the glaze.

6) Place the icing sugar in a bowl and add 2 tbps of water - mix. This will form a fairly runny paste, if the glaze seems too thick, add a bit more water - 1/4 tsp at a time. Now you can also stir in some pistachios - leaving some aside to sprinkle on top after - or leave them all for sprinkling (which is what i did bc i didn't have enough!).

Super cute tray that I'm going to put the loaf on!

7) EAT!!!


**New**


Along with cooking:


Listening to: Now That's What I Call Music 78


Drinking: Banrock Station, Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz, 2008 Reserve - And I felt good every time I had a glass because the bottle informed me that part of the proceeds of every glass I enjoyed supports environmental projects around the world.  Apparently proceeds help 95 projects in 13 countries!










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