Create gourmet pistachio paste at home and save money
Pistachio paste is a unique ingredient popular in many delicious desserts. A small jar at the store can strain your budget, especially if you're considering products made with quality ingredients. Fortunately, at home, you can prepare more of this green cream at a lower cost. You only need an oven, a blender, and a few simple ingredients.
It's worth making pistachio cream not only because of the popularity of sweets from Dubai. These nuts are a treasure trove of nutrients. They contain protein, essential for cell building; fiber, important for digestion; unsaturated fatty acids that reduce bad cholesterol; B vitamins that support the nervous system; and vitamin E, which slows down the aging process. Including them in your diet can improve mental performance and skin appearance. Additionally, they may help in cancer prevention.
Preparing pistachios for paste
To make pistachio cream or butter, you will need unsalted pistachios, which are most often available whole in stores. Before you start blending them into a paste, you must peel them—not only from the hard shells but also from the thin purple skins. It's helpful to scald the pistachios with boiling water to soften the skins, making them easier to remove. You can find methods on TikTok for quickly peeling pistachios, such as squeezing the shells with your fingers.
Raw pistachios are too hard, and even a high-quality blender may struggle to grind them. To soften them, you need to roast them. You can do this in a pan, but an oven works better, as it provides a more consistent temperature, reducing the risk of burning. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, spread the shelled nuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for about 7-10 minutes.
Pistachio nut butter
If you're in the mood for classic pistachio nut butter, place the roasted nuts and optionally 1-2 tablespoons of oil, such as cold-pressed canola oil, into a blender. Blend until smooth. Initially, you'll notice the fat separating from the nut powder, but after a moment, the ingredients should combine. The process takes about 3 minutes with a high-speed blender, but it's worth taking breaks to avoid overheating the appliance.
How to make sweet pistachio paste?
Below you'll find a recipe for sweet pistachio paste, which is great as an addition to desserts or for filling croissants. This is the kind of paste used in Dubai chocolate, which quickly disappears from the markets. You can store the cream in a closed jar in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
Ingredients:
- 7 ounces pistachios
- 1 white chocolate bar
- 0.42 cup heavy cream
- A pinch of salt
- Optionally: 1-2 tablespoons oil, 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions:
- Peel the pistachios from the shells and roast them in the oven (or on a pan). Set aside to cool, then blend with a pinch of salt and, optionally, 1-2 tablespoons of canola oil—add the oil gradually to achieve a smooth consistency.
- Melt a white chocolate bar in a water bath. Mix with heavy cream and optionally add powdered sugar.
- Combine the sweet cream with the pistachio paste in a blender.
- Transfer to a clean, sterilized jar with a lid.
- If you don't use the paste immediately, refrigerate it in a closed jar.
