Pistachio Paste
Ingredients
Directions
Make the paste
Pound marshmallows over steam.
Add 2 tablespoons boiling water, cook until smooth, then turn in a syrup made of 1 cup milk and 1 cup sugar boiled without stirring for 6 minutes.
Add a few drops almond extract, 1 cup pistachio nuts blanched and chopped, and a few drops green coloring.
Beat until cool enough to spread.
Use
Use for filling and frosting.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Marshmallows (in the method)
- Melt into a smooth, sticky base that binds the paste together.
- Sugar (in the method)
- Sweetens the paste and, boiled into syrup, helps it set firm when cooled.
- Pistachio nuts (in the method)
- Provide the main flavor and a finely textured, nutty body to the paste.
The step that matters
Boil the syrup without stirring. Stirring hot sugar syrup can encourage sugar crystals to form, which makes the finished paste grainy. Letting it boil undisturbed for the full six minutes concentrates the sugar smoothly, giving a creamy texture that spreads well once beaten cool.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.