Pistachio cupcakes

Delicious pistachio cupcakes for true pistachio lovers! They’re also the perfect way to satisfy your pistachio cravings if, like me, you’re feeling a little short of them after the holidays ;). These cupcakes are triple pistachio: ground pistachios are added to the sponge, pistachio cream is blended with cream cheese for the frosting, and chopped pistachios are sprinkled on top. Beautifully presented, naturally green, with a subtle hint of lemon – they’ll steal your heart from the very first bite!

Makes 10 cupcakes.

Ingredients for the pistachio cupcakes:

• 125 g butter
• 110 g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 150 g plain flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 60 g ground unsalted pistachios
• 45 ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• freshly grated zest of half a lemon

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Sift the flour and baking powder directly over the creamed mixture. Add the ground pistachios, milk, vanilla extract and lemon zest, then fold gently with a spatula until just combined.

Line a standard muffin tin with paper cases. Divide the batter evenly between the cases, filling each about three-quarters full.

Bake the pistachio cupcakes for about 25 minutes at 170°C or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Additionally:

• about 10 raspberries, one for the top of each cupcake
• crushed or chopped pistachios

Ingredients for the pistachio cream:

• 200 g cream cheese (such as Philadelphia, mascarpone)
• 200 g pistachio cream
• icing sugar, to taste (e.g. 1-2 tablespoons)

All the ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place the cream cheese and pistachio cream in the bowl of a mixer and beat until thick and smooth. Add icing sugar to taste (depending on how sweet the pistachio cream is) and beat again until well combined. Once the cupcakes have cooled, gently hollow out the centre of each one (using an apple corer or a small spoon). Fill the centres with pistachio cream, then pipe or spread more cream on top of each cupcake. Press a raspberry into the cream and sprinkle with crushed or chopped pistachios.

Store the pistachio cupcakes in the fridge (the cream will firm up when chilled). Remove them about 30 minutes before serving to allow them to come to room temperature.

Enjoy!