This week being St. Patrick's day is a celebration of things green and considering that pistachios are the only green nuts that I know of and goes wonderfully with tea, it seems the perfect week for some delicious Pistachio Tea Biscuits.
There is honest food and then there is honest food.
This right here is what a pistachio biscuit would be if it was on truth serum! Yah - it doesn't get more honest than this.
This isn't one of those pseudo green color filled things that hopes to be a pistachio biscuit. It is one to its very core. To the very heart of its 4 ingredients. Right there should say it all - an airy flaky biscuit with 4 ingredients none of which are butter, oil or shortening.
Whaaatttt???? (Dear Steve - this one's for you :)
This darling biscuit performs nothing short of a miracle. By using the goodness of whipped egg whites it manages to fulfill our innermost biscuit fantasies and then leaves us panting.
How lucky I was to come across it in a 2005 issue of Australian Womens Weekly. A time tested recipe that makes and will continue to make an appearance on our kitchen table at tea time (or coffee time) for a long long time.
A keeper - if you like honest pistachios, that is!
The only ingredients required are unsalted roasted & shelled pistachio nuts, egg (or carton egg whites), lemon (if you are not using a copper mixing bowl), powdered sugar, all purpose flour
An hour before beginning remove your eggs or egg whites from the refrigerator and set them aside for about a half hour or so.
Egg whites fluff up best at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350 deg F
Use a food processor for this step -
Separate about 20 pistachio nuts and set them aside whole.
Place the remaining shelled pistachio nuts (remove the paper skin as much as possible) and finely grind then in the dry food processor bowl.
Transfer this 'pistachio flour' into a large mixing bowl (not copper - reserve that one if you've got one for the egg whites).
Add the all purpose flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Stir with a rubber spatula till well combined.
Use another mixing bowl of stainless steel or copper only bowl for fluffing up the egg whites. Also use a large wire whisk.
Add the egg whites and using the wire whisk and begin to froth.
If you are using a stainless steel bowl only - As soon as some froth appears squeeze 1/8 tsp fresh lemon juice into the bowl and continue to froth the egg whites. The lemon juice stabilizes the egg whites and helps in turning them into fluffy stiff peaks.
Keep beating the egg whites with the wire whisk until the egg whites turn snowy white and peaks are formed on the surface.
Add the 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and whisk to combine with the egg white. Immediately pour the egg whites into the flour mixture. Do not sit the egg whites or they will turn liquidy again.
Fold the egg whites into flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just well combined. Do not overwork the dough.
You will find the dough to be quite soft and very unlike a biscuit or shortbread dough. This is fine.
Line a baking tray or cookie sheet with 2 layers of parchment paper.
Using a clean tablespoon, spoon dollops of the dough onto the cookie sheet and press down to form round discs. They don't have to be prefect rounds. Keep the biscuits rounds at least 3/4" apart.
Use the pistachio nuts that have been set aside earlier and press 1 down into each biscuit.
Bake in the preheated over for about 12-14 minutes. These will puff up beautifully and do not brown.
Remove form the oven and allow to cool in the oven. As soon as they have cooled, peel them off the parchment paper and cool on a baking tray.
So there you have it -
Once the biscuits have cooled, dust some powdered sugar on them.
Allow these to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Use within a few days.
Wonderful eaten slightly warm out of the oven with cups of tea or coffee.
Incredibly light and airy.
These unique biscuits incorporate the best of healthful cooking and delicious flavors. Such a wonderful pistachio sweet treat fit for any occasion.
Recipe for
Pistachio Tea Biscuits
Preparation time - 15 minutes
Baking Time - 12-15 minutes
Makes 13-15 biscuits
Shopping list
1 cups unsalted and shelled roasted pistachio nuts
1/3 cup + 2 tbs all purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar - for use with flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar - for use with egg whites
3 eggs separated into egg whites or 6 tbs if using carton egg whites
1/8 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice (only if using stainless steel mixing bowl)
1 tbs powdered sugar for dusting
Preparation -
An hour before beginning remove your eggs or egg whites from the refrigerator and set them aside for about a half hour or so.
Egg whites fluff up best at room temperature.
Use a food processor for this step -
Separate about 20 pistachio nuts and set them aside whole.
Place the remaining shelled pistachio nuts (remove the paper skin as much as possible) and finely grind then in the dry food processor bowl.
Transfer this 'pistachio flour' into a large mixing bowl (not copper - reserve that one if you've got one for the egg whites).
Baking Method-
Add the 'pistachio flour' purpose flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Stir with a rubber spatula till well combined.
Use another mixing bowl of stainless steel or copper only bowl for fluffing up the egg whites. Also use a large wire whisk.
Add the egg whites and using the wire whisk and begin to froth.
If you are using a stainless steel bowl only - As soon as some froth appears squeeze 1/8 tsp fresh lemon juice into the bowl and continue to froth the egg whites. The lemon juice stabilizes the egg whites and helps in turning them into fluffy stiff peaks.
Keep beating the egg whites with the wire whisk until the egg whites turn snowy white and peaks are formed on the surface.
Add the 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and whisk to combine with the egg white. Immediately pour the egg whites into the flour mixture. Do not sit the egg whites or they will turn liquidy again.
Fold the egg whites into flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just well combined. Do not overwork the dough.
You will find the dough to be quite soft and very unlike a biscuit or shortbread dough. This is fine.
Line a baking tray or cookie sheet with 2 layers of parchment paper.
Using a clean tablespoon, spoon dollops of the dough onto the cookie sheet and press down to form round discs. They don't have to be prefect rounds. Keep the biscuits rounds at least 3/4" apart.
Use the pistachio nuts that have been set aside earlier and press 1 down into each biscuit.
Bake in the preheated over for about 12-14 minutes. These will puff up beautifully and do not brown.
Remove form the oven and allow to cool in the oven. As soon as they have cooled, peel them off the parchment paper and cool on a baking tray.
Once the biscuits have cooled, dust some powdered sugar on them.
Allow these to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Use within a few days.
Wonderful eaten slightly warm out of the oven with cups of tea or coffee.
Enjoy!
