Homemade Italian-Style Pistachio Cream (Print version)
A silky Italian-style pistachio cream made with real pistachios, white chocolate, milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
# Ingredients:
For the pistachio cream
01 -
1 cup (140 g) shelled unsalted pistachios, raw or lightly toasted
02 -
Boiling water, for soaking
03 -
3 oz (85 g) white chocolate, chopped or chips
04 -
1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
05 -
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
06 -
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado or sunflower oil
07 -
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 -
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
# Instructions:
01 -
Place the pistachios in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 10 minutes to soften the nuts and loosen the skins.
02 -
Drain the pistachios well. Rub them inside a clean kitchen towel to remove most of the loose skins. A few remaining skins are fine.
03 -
Transfer the pistachios to a food processor or high-speed blender. Pulse until they become fine, damp crumbs, scraping the sides as needed.
04 -
In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the milk, white chocolate, and sugar for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Do not boil.
05 -
Pour the warm chocolate mixture over the ground pistachios. Add the oil, vanilla, and salt, then blend for 2-4 minutes until thick, glossy, and as smooth as your machine can make it.
06 -
If the cream is too thick to blend, add warm milk 1 teaspoon at a time. Spoon into a clean jar, cool, then refrigerate until slightly firmer before serving.
# Good to know:
01 -
Makes about 1 1/2 cups, or 12 small servings.
02 -
Use as a spread, pastry filling, cookie filling, cake layer, or ice cream topping.
03 -
The color should be naturally pale green, not bright green.