Sunday 30 December 2012

Pistachio fancies


 



This recipe comes from the January 2013 edition of Olive magazine.  As soon as I saw it I promoted it to the top of the baking order – it uses Lindt balls, pistachios and fondant icing...what’s not to love?  In my old age, I find all-over fondant icing can be a bit sickly so I liked the idea of drizzling it rather than submerging the cakes in it a la Mr Kipling.




The sponge is a wonderful green thanks to the pistachios; if there’s a better coloured nut I’ve not seen it!  They also keep the sponge moist so these cakes will keep for several days (that’s the theory, anyway  - I won't get to find out with this batch!)




I’d not used fondant icing sugar before and made the glaze how I would a normal icing sugar glaze.  I soon realised this was a mistake – the fondant icing stays runny for much longer and is thinner than it looks in the mixing bowl.  Make it much thicker than you normally would and then marvel at how it oozes down the cakes – it’s like magic!







The white chocolate Lindt ball topping is genius and works really well.  Any white chocolate truffle would suffice but the little demi-sphere looks so cute.  Both Mr CC and I are a sucker for Lindor so any excuse to buy a box is most welcome!




Well, this is the final post of the year – I’ll be honest, it’s a year I’ll be glad to see the back of so here’s hoping 2013 is a good one!  Happy New Year to all my lovely readers!




Ingredients

For the sponge:
100g pistachio kernels
150g golden caster sugar
150g unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 eggs
150g self raising flour
2 tablespoons milk, you may possibly need more
8 white chocolate Lindt Lindor balls, cut in half

For the icing:
300g fondant icing sugar
water – the amount will vary but start with 2 teaspoons


Method

Preheat the oven to 190°/fan oven 170°C/375°F/gas mark 5.

Line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper.

Put the pistachios in a food processor and blitz until you have even, small pieces.

Add the sugar and blitz again.

Add the butter and pulse until you have a thick paste.

Add the eggs and flour and blitz until you have a smooth batter.

If the batter is not at dropping consistency, add the milk and pulse.  Test again and add more milk until you have the right consistency.

Spoon into the prepared cake tin and level the surface.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.  Mine took about 22 minutes.

Leave to cool – in the tin – on a wire rack for 15 minutes then lift out of the tin and leave to cool completely on the wire rack.

When cool trim the edges from the cake – this ensures that each cake cube will look the same.

Cut the cake into 16 squares and place them, a little distance apart, on the wire rack.  Make sure there is a large square of foil or baking paper under the wire rack – it should be slightly bigger than the rack in order to catch all spills!

Cut each Lindt ball in half (they have a central join seam and if you use that you will get clean halves).

Place each half on top of a cube of cake.

Now make the icing: place the fondant icing sugar in a bowl and beat in 2 teaspoons of water.  Fondant icing sugar is different to ordinary icing sugar and I found it paid to make the glaze much thicker than I normally would –it stayed runny for longer so you need it thicker to hold on to the cake!

Spoon the icing over the cakes ensuring that the Lindt balls are covered.  It will run down the sides, which is why it’s important to make it a thick glaze – you don’t want it all to end up on the foil.

Place each cube of cake into a paper case – at this point I put them in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up the glace.  They don’t need to be kept in the fridge beyond that.

Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have created.

Eat.

19 comments:

Susie @ Fold in the Flour said...

These look absolutely gorgeous, and the drizzle of fondant - rather than all over - looks really attractive. Happy New Year, too. Hope you have a good one. :)

Debs Dust Bunny said...

Once again, you've baked a gorgeous treat for us. They look SO classy, too! Hope you have a Happy and Delicious New Year! : )

Kezia said...

Happy New Year! This is something I will definitely have to make as I love Lindt truffles - believe it or not I have one in my mouth as I type!

Lisa Shannon said...

Ah but I am too greedy to drizzle in case any is wasted hehe!!

Thank you CC for continuing to inspire us even when, at times, I am sure it was the last thing you felt like doing.

Here is wishing you and your family a Happy New Year!! xx

Gloria Baker said...

these look really delicious and love pistachios; wonderful fancies!
happy new year!

Lauren Roffey said...

They look delicious and I love the use of the Lindt ball. I look forward to reading more posts in the New Year.

Kate@whatkatebaked said...

What a genius bake, and you get the baker's bonus of leftover Lindt truffles! Happy New Year x

Victory Rolls & Mixing Bowls said...

oooo I love pistachios, have been meaning to try fondant fancies for a while yours look so cute.

Nom! x

decocinasytacones said...

Happy New Year to you too, and of course to your family.
What a beautiful cakes you´ve baked. They look so yummy.....
Thanks for sharing this.
Love from the north of Spain
Marialuisa

Cakelaw said...

These look oh so cute - and I like the use of the Lindt balls on top as decoration. Happy New Year!

anna said...

I'm supposed to be working but your cake is distracting me....These look fab!

Katie said...

Look fabulous and clean and white, ready for a new year!
Hope its a good one for you

Maggie said...

Happy New Year CC - I too love Lindor truffles and Christmas wouldn't be complete without a box. Fab cakes and a great excuse to buy some truffles:)

Caroline said...

Very pretty! I haven't worked with fondant icing sugar but I'll bear your tips in mind for when I do. Happy New Year, hope it's a good one!

Choclette said...

Love pistachios and those sponges look superb. The Lindor is a lovely festive touch too. Thanks for all your wonderful posts and I hope next year proves to be a much better one for you.

Happy New Year

Beau Pace said...

That looks absolutely delicious!

Happy New Year!!!

Tigger said...

Hi CC!

Just to say how scrummy those fondant fancies look - I have a great passion/need for Lindt balls but if I make the cakes who will eat them? Only me!!
I also love 'Tala' - so very retro in many ways - I would just like to know what 'cockolly' means - I have some ancient cutters by that name?

Keep up the caking!

Unknown said...

Oh my word, those are beautiful! Thanks for all the baking joy and inspiration you have provided this year. I'm pleased to see the back of 2012 too - let's hope for good things in 2013! First though, can you tell me what fondant icing sugar is? Not sure such a thing exists in the lowly Antipodes.

The Caked Crusader said...

Hi Kitchen Maid

Thanks for your kind words.

Re fondant icing sugar from the box it appears to be ordinary icing sugar with a bit of glucose added to it. Much in the same way as you add glucose to make fondant icing. It seems to produce a finer, thinner, glossier glaze but ordinary icing sugar will do pretty much the same thing if you can't find it

Hope this helps!

Happy baking