Homemade Pistachio Flour

Pistachio flour provides a nutty flavor and lovely green color in cakes, cookies, and other baked goods and desserts. Making it from scratch is easier than you’d think: all you need are fresh pistachios (and a little bit of time and patience).

Pistachio flour is basically just very finely ground pistachio nuts (sometimes it’s called pistachio meal). You can use pistachio flour in baked goods the same way you would almond flour (and can easily substitute it 1:1 in any recipe that calls for almond flour, like amaretti cookies or macarons).

I’ve shared more than one recipe that uses pistachio flour, and up until now I’ve always just bought it.

But the thing is, store-bought pistachio flour, despite being a rather pricey ingredient, is frankly, just not very pretty, usually a yellowish green sort of color that doesn’t exactly show up well in baked goods.

Making pistachio flour yourself allows you to source the freshest, highest quality nuts you can find (fresher nuts are going to be greener no matter what kind they are, not to mention have a brighter, fresher pistachio flavor).

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Flourless Pistachio Cake with Chocolate Ganache

I’d like you to meet your new favorite cake: it’s (naturally) bright green, loaded with nutty pistachio flavor, and topped with a silky smooth layer of chocolate ganache for good measure. And did I mention it’s completely flourless?

Made with a mix of pistachio and almond flours, sugar, whole eggs, and fat (in this case a mix of butter and olive oil), this naturally gluten-free cake comes together into a delicate and tantalizingly textured cake, topped with a luscious layer of dark chocolate ganache and a border of slivered pistachios.

Happy National Pistachio Day! Indeed, February 26 is officially designated as a day of celebration for this little green nut. Did you know the pistachio is known as the “happy nut” in China and the “smiling nut” in the Middle East? What an apt name as I can’t help but smile when that bright green color makes an appearance.

I figured the best way to celebrate this under-rated holiday would be with the greenest, most pistachio-packed cake possible, and this flourless wonder certainly fits the bill: made with pistachio flour, pistachio extract for flavor, and a sprinkling of slivered green pistachios for decoration on top (you know what they say, triple the pistachio, triple the fun!)

Clearly I’m having a moment with pistachio, from my ultimate pistachio lover’s gelato to a stunning pistachio cheesecake to this ridiculously good pistachio créme brûlée (ok, maybe more than a moment… it’s safe to say I’m definitely in my pistachio era and don’t see myself moving on anytime soon).

But out of dozens of pistachio dessert recipes, this might just be my favorite one yet. Once you try it for yourself I think you’ll see why!

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Homemade Candied Blood Orange Slices

These jewel-like candied blood orange slices have a gorgeous, stained glass appearance, making them the perfect decorations for desserts or drinks, and a sweet and chewy texture that makes for a delicious snack all on their own, or (better yet) dipped in dark chocolate.

While candying oranges does involve a good chunk of time to achieve that perfect chew and glass-like appearance, the result is well worth it. Not to mention the delicious candied orange syrup that’s leftover at the end which as good or better as the orange slices themselves! All you need to make this impressive homemade confection are sugar, water, and oranges (and a bit of powdered citric acid to preserve the leftover syrup at the end).

Hello, gorgeous!

Really though, is there anything prettier than a slice of candied blood orange, shiny and translucent in the winter sun?

They’re basically like edible stained glass, deliciously chewy and bursting with sweet orange flavor. And yes, the entire thing is edible! The ‘candying’ process, wherein the orange slices are simmered in a sugar syrup, softens the rind and infuses it with sugar syrup.

Not to mention that the ‘byproduct’ of the entire process is a truly fantastic candied orange syrup that’s almost better than the oranges themselves. It’s like a recipe two-for-one!

I used these candied blood orange slices as a garnish on some chocolate blood orange cupcakes. Cut into half moons and nestled in a swirl of pale pink blood orange buttercream, they provided the perfect finishing touch to the already gorgeous cupcakes, both adding visual impact and hinting at the flavors to be found inside. Rather than try to tack this on as a part of the cupcake recipe (which already had cake and frosting parts), I figured they were pretty enough (and finicky enough) to warrant their own post.

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Chocolate Olive Oil & Blood Orange Cupcakes

These tender, deeply chocolate cupcakes are made with extra virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed blood orange juice, topped with a swirl of flavorful blood orange buttercream and crowned with a jewel-like candied blood orange slice.

The blood orange buttercream is the star of the show: with a punchy orange flavor and gorgeous pale pink hue. The unique eggless mock meringue method produces a frosting that’s much creamier and less sweet than traditional American buttercreams.

This recipe was created in partnership with Amoretti (use coupon code LOVEANDOLIVEOILFREESHIP for free shipping on your order!) All opinions expressed here are my own.

Happy blood orange season to all who celebrate!

I am a big fan of blood oranges, more than any other kind of citrus. While you’ll rarely, if ever, see me sit down and eat a regular orange, I will devour a blood orange and even choose it as an afternoon snack over chips or chocolate (gasp! I know!) I just love the bright flavor, which is like a sweeter version of a classic orange, both sweet and tart at the same time, with underlying notes of red berries. Not to mention the vibrant red color makes me ever so happy.

Needless to say, you can be sure that when blood oranges appear for a few short weeks in the middle of winter, I’ll be there, eating my fill before they disappear for another year. You can also assume I’ll be cooking, baking, or canning something with blood oranges this time of year (assuming I have some left over after stuffing my face, that is). And sure enough, I’ve put out one new blood orange recipe pretty consistently every year (there’s also a Strawberry Blood Orange marmalade recipe you’ll only find in my book, trust me when I say it’s not to be missed).

This year, I decided to revisit an old favorite and re-make my favorite chocolate blood orange cupcakes. The sunset-hued buttercream and the moist chocolate cake spiked with blood orange flavor are, simply put, stunning in both taste and appearance. Add in some fruity extra virgin olive oil in place of the usual vegetable oil in the cupcake, and you have yourself one delicious treat.

This time around I topped my cupcakes with jewel-like slices of candied blood orange, which are as gorgeous as they are delicious, and add the perfect finishing touch to the swirl of pink buttercream frosting.

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