This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)
The house I grew in was all about soccer. Weekends were game days, and my dad used to listen to games on the radio all day long (or at least it seemed so). I remember I was surprised when I found out some radio stations play only songs, without the games.
Later on, when we got our first TV set, we watched games over there. And when the cable companies started they broadcasted even more games, from around the world. We would go to the beach only if there wasn’t a game. In fact my dad’s mood was really all about the score of his favorite team. He played soccer as a younger man, he even chaired a modest team, a true fan in heart and soul. Which meant as I said, soccer everywhere.
I guess that’s why I can’t stand soccer… After all the soccer watching/listening growing up, I think I am just overdosed. For years I couldn’t even eat pistachios, as it seemed to me like a game’s snack.
But how can I stay away from pistachios, when they are my hubby’s favorites nuts, and that’s the same hubby who couldn’t care less about soccer (so much win! :)? So I wanted to spoil him with a special pistachio dessert: one with a sweet pistachio cream, together with chocolate (a healthy homemade version or a store bought one, to your choice), topped with Kosher salt (if you like the sweet salty thingy).
Well, spoil him, and you guys, and myself duh! Obviously I got over my pistachio phobia and ate so much of these until I found the perfect version to share here.
And that’s it, no more phobia left, just love.
- For the pistachio cream:
- ½ cup macadamia nuts
- ½ cup pistachio nuts
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tea spoon vanilla extract
- For the chocolate:
- The store bought version: 200 grams of fine quality dark chocolate
- The homemade healthier version: ½ cup cocoa butter, 2 table spoons cocoa powder, 2 table spoons pure maple syrup
- A pinch of kosher salt
- To make the pistachio cream part:
- Place the cream ingredients (1/2 cup macadamia nuts, ½ cup pistachio nuts, ⅓ cup pure maple syrup, 1 tea spoon vanilla extract) inside a blender and puree until combined. If you don't have a high speed blender you may be left with some nuts pieces not pureed, which is great also, as it gives some crunch to the cups.
- To make the chocolate part:
- If you chose the store bought version simply melt your bought chocolate in a bain-marie (inside a small pot over a larger pot with boiling water. Make sure not to get water into your melting chocolate), stirring continuously.
- For the homemade healthier version: use the same bain-marie method to melt and combine the ½ cup cocoa butter, 2 table spoons cocoa powder, and the 2 table spoons pure maple syrup. stir continuously until well combined.
- Build the cups: this recipe is enough to fill 8 mini muffins molds, and you can "play" with the presentation. You can fill some of the molds with the chocolate half full, place in the freezer for a few minutes then take out and add the pistachio cream on top of the chocolate. You can reverse the order and do pistachio first chocolate later. Or you can fill up some with chocolate, making sure you put some chocolate on the sides of the molds, send to the freezer for a few minutes, take out and add the pistachio cream, and more chocolate on top of it, thus creating the more traditional cups look. (Check out the pictures above for examples to all of these).
- Top with some kosher salt (not a must, only if you like the sweet and salty taste combination) and keep in the freezer.
- Let sit outside of the freezer for 5 minutes before serving.
P.S.
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Moran