Pistachio Charlotte Recipes

PISTACHIO BAVARIAN CREAM AND PRALINE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pistachio nuts, and blanch for 30 seconds; drain. When nuts are cool enough to handle, remove skins. Spread out on a baking tray, and place in the oven until they are dry but still green in color, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to cool. Set aside 1 1/4 cups nuts. Transfer remaining nuts to a food processor, and process until coarsely ground. Place ground nuts and milk in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat; transfer to a medium bowl; set aside in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
• To make the praline: Place a Silpat (a French nonstick baking mat) on a baking tray; set aside. Place 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and brushing down the sides of the pan with water as needed, until sugar is golden in color, about 10 minutes. Add reserved 1 1/4 cups nuts, and stir to combine. Pour mixture onto the prepared baking tray, and allow to cool. Break into pieces, and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the caramel is coarsely chopped; set aside.
• To make the bavarian cream: Fill a bowl with ice and water; set aside. Remove milk-nut mixture from refrigerator, and strain through cheesecloth into a medium saucepan, squeezing all milk from the nuts. Discard nuts. There should be 2 cups strained milk. Bring milk to a simmer over medium-low heat. While milk is heating, whisk egg yolks with remaining cup sugar in a medium bowl, until pale and combined. Pour hot milk slowly into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return egg-milk mixture to the saucepan, and cook, stirring constantly until it thickens and coats the spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not allow mixture to boil. Remove from heat, and stir in softened gelatin until completely dissolved. Strain mixture into a clean bowl, and set over ice bath, stirring occasionally until mixture is cold. Add kirsch, and stir to combine.
• Using an electric mixer, whip heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold whipped cream into egg-milk mixture until just combined. Use immediately.

STRAWBERRY PISTACHIO CHARLOTTE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients, and heat on medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil and cook until strawberries are tender, about 3 minutes. Take off heat, blend mixture with an immersion blender until it becomes a syrup consistency. Set aside, and let cool until ready to use.
• Preheat oven to 400F / 200 C. Line two baking trays with parchment. Fit a large piping bag with a 1 cm plain tip if you have one or cut a opening of 1 cm on the tip before piping.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, start whipping egg whites on high speed until it becomes frothy. Reduce speed to medium, add sugar in 2-3 addition, increase speed to high again, whip until firm. Pour in egg yolks, whip on medium until it reaches a "ribbon" consistency. (The mixture should be pale yellow, almost white in color. When you lift the whisk over the mixture the batter should fall slowly forming a ribbon that will hold it's shape for a few minutes.)
• Add in sifted flour, gently fold in with a silicone spatula until there is no more traces of dry flour. Refrain from over-mixing as it will deflate the batter too much and ladyfingers will not hold their shape.
• On one baking tray, pipe 15 5-inch (12 cm) ladyfingers. On the second tray, using a plate or a lid as a template, draw two circles as guides. Pipe rounds using the guide. Dust ladyfingers and disks with icing sugar.
• Baking one tray at a time, bake each tray for 8 - 10 minutes until edges have turned light brown. Rotate the trays halfway through. Let cool until ready to assemble.
• Bloom (soak) gelatin sheets in cold water, set aside.
• In a small saucepan, infuse vanilla bean, seeds and milk on medium heat. While heating, in a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch. Temper yolks by gradually adding hot milk in the yolk mixture.
• Return mixture into the saucepan, cook until mixture is just boiling. Squeeze out excess moisture from the bloomed gelatin, incorporate in the hot mixture. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl, put a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Let cool in a cold water bath.
• In a chilled mixer bowl, whip whipping cream to soft peaks. Add one-third of the whipped cream to the custard, whisk to incorporate. Add in the rest of the whipped cream and pistachio paste, lightly incorporate with a spatula until cream is incorporated.
• Brush the bottoms of the lady fingers and sponge disks with strawberry syrup. Pack the ladyfingers tightly (upright) around the side of the Charlotte mould.
• Pour one-third of the cream in the mould, cover with diced strawberries, place a sponge disk on it, and press down lightly. Pour in more Barvarian cream leaving about a 1 cup for the last layer, distribute the remaining strawberries on top. Spread the rest of the cream on top, and press the other sponge disk on top. Cover the top with plastic. Chill until the cream sets, for at least two hours.
• If necessary, trim the ladyfingers to flush the rim of the mould. To serve, dip the bottom of the mould in hot water, place a plate over the mould, and carefully revert the Charlotte on the the plate.
• Garnish the top with fresh strawberries and pistachios, serve.

PISTACHIO CHARLOTTE

Steps:

• Combine sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan, and allow to simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to cool. Add kirsch, and stir to combine. Brush ladyfingers and cake rounds with syrup. Place ladyfingers around edge of 81/2-inch springform pan. Lay a cake round in the bottom, trimming, if necessary, to fit.
• Spoon in 1/3 pistachio bavarian cream, smooth top, and sprinkle with 1/3 pistachio praline. Repeat with remaining cake rounds, bavarian cream, and praline to form two more layers. Place in the refrigerator to set, 4 to 5 hours, or overnight. Serve.

PISTACHIO-CHERRY DANISH

Steps:

• Make the dough: Place the milk in a small saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds out into the saucepan. Add the scraped, split pod to the pan, too. Warm the milk over medium heat, bringing it just under a boil. When you see little bubbles around the rim and the milk is steaming, remove the pan from the heat and let the milk cool to lukewarm. Pour the warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or a large bowl); sprinkle in the yeast and stir to dissolve. Add the lukewarm milk, sugar, salt, eggs, 1 cup of the flour, and the cardamom and mix together on low speed. Add the butter and mix to combine. Beat in 2 cups of the flour until the mixture is smooth. Add enough of the remaining flour to form a supersoft dough. Knead it in the mixer with the dough hook, or turn it out onto a work surface dusted with flour and knead it by hand for 3 to 4 minutes, until the dough is supple and silky smooth and small blisters develop just under its surface. Put the dough in a large well-greased bowl, turning the dough over so it's greased-side up. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, take the dough out of the refrigerator and punch it down. Transfer it from the bowl to your countertop and cover it with a kitchen towel. Let it rise a second time, at room temperature, for up to 90 minutes, or until almost doubled in size. While the dough rises, make the filling: In a small saucepan, combine the cherries, rum, and ¼ cup water. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cook it for 2 minutes, then remove it from the heat and let it cool. Drain the liquid from the mixture and set the cherries aside in a small bowl. In a food processor, pulse the egg whites until they're foamy. Crumble in the pistachio paste and pulse again until it's thoroughly combined and smooth. Add the sugar and butter and pulse again to incorporate. Using a rubber spatula, scoop the mixture into a medium bowl. Add the lemon zest and stir to combine. Assemble the Danish: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt 1 teaspoon butter over low heat. Brush the melted butter over the bottom and sides of the pan to coat. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Cut it into 4 equal pieces; you will be making 2 twists. Roll each piece out to a 5 by 12-inch rectangle. Using a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon, spread one-quarter of the pistachio paste mixture on each rectangle; dot each with one-quarter of the drained cherries. Roll each piece up from the long side, jelly-roll style. Pinch the edges and ends well to seal the seams and help keep the filling inside the dough. Place 2 of the filled rolls side-by-side, seams down. Twist one roll over the other, as tautly as possible, forming a thick rope. Pinch the ends of the twist to fuse the rolls together, and tuck or twist any less-than-pretty areas under, out of view. Repeat with the remaining rolls. Coil the first twisted rope into a small, tight, snaillike spiral circle and place it in the center of the skillet. Wrap the second twisted rope around it, tucking the edges under the inner coil to connect the two ropes. Beat the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons water to make an egg wash and brush the dough with it. Sprinkle the pistachios over the top, followed by the sugar and the salt. Cover the pan and let the dough rise once more until doubled in size, about 40 minutes. Bake the Danish until it's browned and cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through. Remove it from the oven, leaving it in the skillet for a couple of minutes to set before transferring it to a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes. You should be able to lift it out of the pan quite easily with a spatula. This is best eaten the same day it's baked. I don't even let mine cool; it's a bit messier, but I can't help myself.

PISTACHIO CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 and grease a loaf pan with butter and flour.
• Pulse your pistachios with the flour until finely ground.
• Beat the butter for a few minutes then add the sugar and zest and beat until light and fluffy
• Add eggs one at a time, while mixer is running and beat until combined.
• Add the pistachio and flour mixture, the salt and baking powder to the wet mix and fold with a spatula until combined.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes or until top springs back when pressed.
• If you are making the glaze: do so by pressing pomegranate arils through a sieve to release about 1/2 tablespoon of juice. Add the lemon juice, powdered sugar and the salt and mix to combine.
• Once the cake is cool, drizzle with the glaze and top with pistachios and more arils.

STRAWBERRY ROSE CHARLOTTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• For ladyfingers: In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks with a mixer at medium speed. Gradually beat all but 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar into yolks until pale and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a spatula, fold flour into mixture until incorporated.
• In a separate medium bowl, beat egg whites and salt with a mixer, beginning at a low speed. Add remaining 1½ teaspoons sugar and rose oil. In increments, increase mixer speed until stiff peaks form.
• Using a separate spatula, fold egg whites into yolk mixture until all ingredients are incorporated.
• Spoon batter into a piping bag fitted with a ¾-inch decorating tip.
• Pipe batter onto prepared pan in 3½-inch ladyfingers. Dust with a sprinkling of confectioners' sugar
• Bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Set aside or freeze until ready to use.
• For cake: Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease an 8-inch cake pan with butter.
• Sift all-purpose flour, pistachio flour, salt, and cardamom into a medium bowl.
• In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl.
• Add eggs, one at a time, and beat after each addition until fully blended. Add vanilla extract and
• pistachio paste; continue to beat until fully combined.
• Add flour mixture and blend until combined. Do not overbeat. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Using a cake slicer or serrated knife, cut cake in half horizontally.
• For mousse: In a large saucepan, cook strawberries over medium heat until smooth; blend with an immersion blender or blender. Add ⅓ cup sugar and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together gelatin and lemon juice; let stand until softened, about 2 minutes.
• Add gelatin mixture to strawberry mixture, and cook, stirring constantly, until gelatin dissolves. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
• In a medium bowl, beat cream with remaining ¼ cup sugar with a mixer at medium speed until stiff peaks form. If desired, add rose oil and food coloring; beat 1 minute more.
• Fold strawberry purée into whipped cream until combined.
• For ganache: In a medium saucepan, bring cream and honey just to a boil over medium heat; immediately pour cream mixture over chocolate, and let sit for 3 minutes. Whisk well. Add butter and whisk until smooth.
• To assemble: Line an 8-inch cake pan with plastic wrap, letting excess extend over sides of pan. Place one cake layer inside, and smooth down sides of plastic wrap. Spread strawberry mousse over cake; top with remaining cake layer. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Using excess plastic wrap as handles, remove from pan and transfer cake to a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Pour ganache over top until it drizzles over completely; spread evenly with a spatula. Before ganache sets, press lady fingers around sides of cake, making sure they adhere. Tie a ribbon around charlotte and top with strawberries glazed with jam, if desired.