As a curious and somewhat avid baker, nothing delights me more than sussing out interesting ingredients, flavourings that I can experiment with. My frequent overseas business trips take me to markets which are bigger and more mature in such disciplines affording me access to interesting ingredients which are otherwise hard to come by in Singapore.
During my recent trip to Hong Kong, apart from getting tart molds, I had also managed to cinch an interesting Pistachio Paste. A thick nutty paste that comes in a hue that resembles deep chlorophyll, the 100% Pistachio Paste reminds me of Sicilian Pistachios that are generally smallish and when ground, yield a jade green powder. The paste on its own is utterly delicious - a little like a drier Pistachio butter spread. I guarded the little 100g tub almost possessively....
I have decided to try out the paste using one of Pierre Herme's Financier recipes. Like the Madeleine recipe I had tried earlier, Pierre Herme has once again incorporated inverted sugar in his recipe which results in one of softest and moistest Financier I have ever tasted... a moistness that I am still not quite used to expect from a Financier. The pistachio paste turns the tender crumbs into a glistening emerald green, by itself, quite a lovely sight to behold.
Once again, I know this precious paste would be on my replenish list when I stop by in Hong Kong next time.
Recipe
Icing Sugar 90g
Almond meal 30g
Hazelnut meal 5g
Bread flour 35g
Baking soda 1g
Egg white 95g
Invert Sugar 5g (if not available, just use glucose syrup)
Pistachio Paste 25g
Melted brown butter 60g
Lemon zest Pinch
Pistachio nuts 25g (roasted at 160C for 7mins and chopped)
Method :
1. Mix icing sugar, almond meal and hazelnut meal in a mixing bowl. Add in sifted bread flour and baking soda.
2. Add half of the egg white and blend with the dry ingredients until well corporated.
3. Add invert sugar and mix until totally combined.Add the remaining egg white and mix until homogenous.
4. Add in pistachio paste and mix until well corporated.
5. Stir in brown butter gradually, stirring well to ensure well mixed.
6. Add lemon zest. Mix well. Scoop batter into a piping bag.
7. Pipe batter into a oiled financier mold to 80% filled.
8. Sprinkle chopped pistachio nuts on top.
9. Bake at 190C for 10 -12 mins.
10. Cool down and demold.
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38 comments:
This sounds really interesting and the colour is just amazing!
I love the color of the financier!
Love the lovely jade green colour on the inside. Love the nuttiness of pistachios too. After this post, I'm so tempted to get my hands on a financier mold.. :)
That looks SO good! I've been wanting to try pistachio financiers - and yours look great.
Have you ever tried Eric Kayser's Green tea (matcha) tart? Its basically a giant financier, with matcha powder baked in. It looks very similar to the pistachio, in color...
@Joyti - No I have not tried Eric Kayser's recipe. I can imagine the colour, though. The Pistachio paste is my rare find for otherwise, I don't think I would be able to get that glorious green colour with just ground pistachio alone...
Love the green Shirley and those pistachio nuts look almost gleaming...really attractive!
it must be tasting so good....i can imagine how moist it is with teh richness of the pistachio paste in it. Wow.
i'm waiting for my financiar mould, have not eaten financier before. Yours look so nice and love the green colour.
wow i almost thought this was maccha financiers hehe. the colours look alike!
Indeed very very green!
I hope to get some good pistachios in the future.
Beautiful pictures and a very interesting blog,
Thanks for sharing..
Shirley, Simply adores that green hue! Did you buy those pistachio without husks in HK too? I heard it is tough to remove the husks.
love the green color of this dish
look at how soft on the inside! i would love this with tea!
First I thought the green is from matcha. Pistachio version sounds very yum. Love it! (^.^)
@Edith : I got these pistachios from Shermay's and yes, they come without husk.
Hi, where did you buy the pistachio paste from? I have been looking for these...
@Anoymous : I got these at a shop in Hong Kong at Shanghai Street. If I recall correctly, the name of the shop is I Love Baking. The source of the product is a Japanese company called ShoEi. Hope this helps.
Looked tasty. Wouldn't mind to try a slice.
I don't quite enjoy pistachio gelato though. The nutty flavour tastes too heavy.
Really interesting using pistachio in this baked goodie. I also love the green colour of the cake crumbs, looks so gorgeous.
Hi Shirley, you sure one creative lady.
Ladies like you under different circumstances very dangerous to bachelors, ha ha ha.
When I was busy sowing wild padi, nobody warned me about girls who can cook...only about not good girls.
And one day got invited for dinner by an SYT, and that was it....got hooked, ladle, kwali and spoon...I married the cook!
Love this dish...anymore?
Have a nice day.
Lee.
I love the pretty green color! I've never seen pistachio paste in the US available for purchase. I will have to look to see if they sell it here.
Those look so yummy! I love the bright green inside :D
At a glace I thought you made green tea financier. I just love the dark green color. I wonder if I can get pistachio paste here. I have to check with my baking teacher the next time I see him.
Hey Shirley,
you can get the pistachio paste from Galeries Lafayette too. I'm sure you will be going Paris soon.
Haha now I simply regret not buying a jar then. Arrr..
I love just about anything pistachio flavored and the vibrant hue of these financiers has me drooling!
Mmm yum - I just love how dark hue of green the financier is! And I bet the pistachio paste is to die for! I make my own, but it's so time consuming and costly that I only make it on really special occasions. Just wondering about the invert sugar - how does the use of glucose syrup differ from it? Does it make any difference to the baked good?
Hi Janine - Wow, you make your own Pistachio paste? Kudos! I see very little difference really. Invert sugar is a mixture of fructose and glucose. I used glucose for my madeleines earlier. Possibly the invert sugar is a little more moist...but I really couldn't tell.
I love pistachios and bet they taste amazing in these cute little cakes. I also make my own pistachio paste but I've never had the commercial one so I'm not sure how close it is.
The colour is amazinggggg!
I've tons of pistachios.. still thinking of how to use them up! Perhaps i'll give this a try eh? *wink*
i have not tasted a financier, still curious how's the texture like but you sounded like the invert sugar is the magic ingredient here!
Wow love the jade colour of it!! Was it sevarom ?
Hi Swee San, it is not Sevarom - it is a Japanese brand, ShoEi. But I know Sevarom has it as well but not feasible for us because you will have to buy a big tub... this one comes in 100g plastic tub... more suitable for me.
If only there is such a word, I would say very "pistachio-ey" !
Hi may I know what are Almond meal & hazelnut meal? Thank u.
Anonymous: Almond meal and hazelnut meal is actually ground almond and ground hazelnut. These are now quite readily available in baking ingredient stores.
Thank u Shirley for your speedy reply...
for how many financier is this recipe for??
@ Bebe, Thank you for dropping by. Depending on the size of your mold. For mine, I got around 10-12 financiers.
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