she is disappointed. there is cake but no frosting...(seriously?) she definitely seems disappointed. she is not so subtle. she expected frosting.
but, whipped cream and citrus! come on, mom. no one should be bummed here.
except maybe my callous fingertips. cracking/shucking/prying open enough pistachios to get one cup of little gems was...super fun.
alas, shells or not, i adore baking with nuts. o the textures and flavor!
each one has a different personality. like members of a family.
almonds are the moms.
walnuts are the dads.
pecans are the grandmas. they'll bring the pie, y'all.
chestnuts are the grandpas. all warm and wise.
peanuts are all the kids running around everywhere.
pistachios are the teenage daughters. curiously purple and bright green on the inside, and difficult to deal with sometimes.
brazil nuts are the weird cousin that no one wants around. leave brazil nut, go away.
hazelnuts are the sassy aunts with low cut tops. nutella: always a good time.
macadamia nuts are the random exchange students.
sunflower seeds are like, the pet mice.
i don't know who cashews are, but i know they are nice and noncontroversial. maybe they're introverts.
anyway. the cake is simple and grand. with the whipped cream slooping over the side, it is my favorite type of "composed plate", imperfect and crummy, kind of composed, but so not composed.
keep it together, nuts.
the teenage daughters are running rampant!
Pistachio Olive Oil Cake
adapted from ming thompson via design sponge
this recipe comes from ming thompson. she has a website called ming makes cupcakes. i am not typically the biggest cupcake person, but i'm completely smitten.
1 cup shelled pistachios
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp yogurt or sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
2 eggs
2 tsp lemon juice
preheat oven to 350 degreesF. grease an 8 inch round or square baking pan with olive oil.
place pistachios in food processor. pulse until they resemble the texture of small gravel. remove half of it and then pulse the rest until the texture of coarse sand.
in a bowl, combine finely ground pistachios, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. stir until well combined. in the bowl of an electyric mixer, combine the oil, milk, yogurt, lemon juice, and eggs and beat with paddle attachment until combined. add in the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. stir in the coarsely ground pistachios with a spatula.
pour into greased cake pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until edges are lightly brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. let cool.
To Serve. Whip up 1 cup heavy cream with 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar and a splash of vanilla extract until soft peaks form. top wedges of pistachio cake with dollops of cream and some citrus segments.