Tag Archives: pistachio

Peach and Pistachio Cake

Posted in Cakes by

peach-and-pistachio-cake-one-perfect-mess-easy-recipe-baking-upside-down-yotam-ottolenghi-gluten-free-stone-fruits-syrup-icing-3

‘Peach and pistachio; genius.’ I sat shaking my head, half in awe and admiration, half in disbelief that I didn’t come up with the idea myself. Over a lunch of falafel and bean salad and hommus and chocolate cake, I sat brainstoming baking ideas with a clever friend when she dropped this bombshell of a flavour combination. This particular marriage of fruit and nuts is something special; the sweet, ripe flesh of the peach is perfectly partnered by the distinctively charming flavour of pistachios, and the vibrant orange and green is so darn alluring and exotic. Served warm, this delightfully soft cake quite literally falls apart as undertones of almond, walnut and lemon zest blossom with each mouthful, all swathed in a delicate drizzle of lemon icing. Yes.

Continue reading →

Brown Sugar Meringues with Roasted Rhubarb, Honey Mascarpone Cream and Pistachios

Posted in Cakes, Puddings by

Brown Sugar Meringues with Orange Roasted Rhubarb, Pistachios and Honey Mascarpone Whipped Cream One Perfect Mess easy dessert recipe baking autumn fall meringue pistachio nuts 3

Spoiler alert: this here is a little cheat’s dessert. Prep is done in under an hour, no fancy qualifications required, looks pretty as a peach, and is so much fun to just absolutely demolish. Also it tastes pretty darn good. The slight tartness of the roasted rhubarb is offset by the honey mascarpone cream. Then there’s the slightly salty pistachios that flirt with the vibrant syrup drizzling down the sides. And did I mention that the crisp brown sugar meringue cradling the whole thing has a slightly caramelised flavour, and is so devilishly light and delicious?  Who’s complaining?

Continue reading →

Dark Chocolate, Pistachio and Honey Cookies

Posted in Cookies by

Salted Dark Chocolate Chip, Pistachio Nut and Honey Cookies soft chewy moist crunchy crispy recipe One Perfect Mess 2

Fancy a batch of these pillowy-soft centred, crispy edged, slightly salted, honey-laced cookies? Packed with generous chunks of dark chocolate, crunchy pistachios and the promise of that perfect chewy texture, they’re a little exotic and utterly seductive. Perfect for late night snacking with a cup of tea, I used whole wheat flour for thicker cookies, and dark brown sugar for an almost caramel-like flavour. These devilish darlings don’t disappoint.

Continue reading →

Roasted Fig and Goats Curd Cheesecake with Honey and Pistachios

Posted in Cakes by

Roasted Fig and Goats Curd Cheesecake with Honey and Pistachios recipe One Perfect Mess

Mother’s Day has just passed, and my dear Ma’s birthday was a few days later, so I created a celebratory dessert that was composed of a few of her favourite things. Remember those extra figs I froze when I made my Honey Roasted Fig, Dark Chocolate and Mascarpone Tart? I couldn’t ignore them anymore, so out they came and the result was this creamy, fragrant, frankly irresistible cheesecake. If you truly love me, you’ll make me a cheesecake. That’s really my only ask. I’m very easy to please and I’ll think you’re the bee’s knees forever and ever. This one is a particularly special cheesecake; a slightly salty almond and pistachio base sets the stage, goats curd offsets the rich cream cheese and gives the filling a soft, crumbly texture, and a baklava-inspired honey, lemon and rosewater syrup drizzled over roasted figs, pistachios and rose petals leaves you sobbing with confusion when you realise you ate your slice before you could truly appreciate what was happening.

Continue reading →

Vanilla Spice Celebration Cake with Strawberries, Chocolate Ganache and Rosewater Frosting

Posted in Cakes by

Vanilla Spice Celebration Cake with Strawberries, Chocolate Ganache and Rosewater Frosting Recipe One Perfect Mess 6

So guess what? I’ve passed 1000 views on this little blog! This is a pretty big milestone for me, and I’m so excited to know that there are people out there who are enjoying what I bake and ramble about, and wondering what I’m going to throw out there next. I usually dapple in pretty simple ‘home-cook’ style recipes, but to celebrate I thought I’d go all out with something special. This beauty is composed of four layers of vanilla spice cake that are interspersed with layers of fresh strawberry mousse, then the whole thing is encased in rosewater Swiss Meringue Buttercream, drizzled with dark chocolate ganache, and covered in glazed strawberries and chopped pistachio nuts. Are you tempted yet?

Continue reading →