Crema di pistacchio

Whenever I meet up with family/friends/ friends of friends visiting Rome, I take great pride in introducing them to gastronomic sites of the city (step aside, Colosseum). I relish familiarizing them with the Italian aperitivo — a drink of choice + a few small bites before dinner, for just a few euros — and introducing them to the 4 Pecorino-centric pillars of Roman pasta. I have fun acquainting them with Roman fritti, everything from crisp, cheese-stuffed supplì to golden, anchovy-tinged fiori di zucca. I love dazzling them with the concept of ordering and eating your very own pizza, completely doable given the digestibility of the dough and the freshness of the ingredients. I am always incredibly pleased to inform any out-of-towners that at a gelateria, you can order a cone or cup with up to 3 flavors (no need to choose just one!) I am a little smug when my visitors marvel at the quality of coffee, and its respective price (max EUR 1.20 for an excellent cappuccino). I love enlightening them about Italian breakfast, which stars not eggs or bacon, but the sweet, crescent-shaped pastry that is the cornetto .

But the biggest showstopper for visitors, the greatest hit, time and time again? Hands down: crema di pistacchio.

In the same family as peanut butter and nutella, crema di pistacchio is, as you may have guessed, made with pistachios. It is thick, smooth, and sweet but also just the littlest bit salty, and if it’s a good crema di pistacchio, will be wholly, unapologetically pistachio-y. I tend to introduce anyone new to Rome to this delicacy via a cornetto al pistacchio, to accompany their incredibly well-priced coffee at breakfast. Something like this.

Upon being introduced to crema di pistacchio, reactions of friends and family have included, but are not limited to: “Where has this been all my life?!” / “What is this?!” / “I’ll be eating one of these every day while I’m here”/ and “Holy sh*t”, among others. And I don’t blame them: apart from being delicious, crema di pistacchio is downright novel. After all, pistachio is a relatively under appreciated ingredient in the U.S, with our knowledge stretching as far as feeble, usually just-okay pistachio ice cream. In Italy on the other hand the pistachio is celebrated, used in everything from savory pesto and arancine to sweeter granita to gelato.

The issue here? It turns out that crema di pistacchio — like Nutella, and more tragically, clotted cream — is considered by airport authorities to be a liquid (no comment). I’ve had many a friend who has tried to transport a jar of crema di pistacchio to their home countries, only to be forced to abandon it at airport security (oh, the despair!) Those who manage to fit a jar or two into their checked luggage are better off, but only temporarily— after all, crema di pistacchio isn't sold in the U.S, and there’s nowhere to replenish the supply, once it runs out.

But I digress! After comforting one forlorn friend whose crema di pistacchio was confiscated and tossed (or, more likely, enjoyed by airport staffers) on her way back to Edinburgh, I decided enough was enough: I’d figure out a way to whip up crema di pistacchio at home, thus making this delightful confection accessible to all.

And so: here is my first ever attempt at homemade crema di pistacchio. There’s white chocolate, butter, and milk to ensure the mix is rich, smooth, and sweet, plus lots of (toasted!) pistachios to give the crema a hefty pistacchio-punch. The pistachios are ground until fine, but still retain a little crunch, giving the resulting crema a homemade, rustic feel. As with all sweets, a dab of vanilla is essential, and don’t skimp on the salt here — it really rounds out the flavor of the finished product, and makes it extra more-ish. The color is a lovely shade of pale emerald, too. If you weren’t already convinced — it’s also a cinch to throw together.

And what to do with your jar of homemade crema di pistacchio? Eat it on a croissant (the closest you’ll get to a cornetto outside of Italy), use is it to fill sandwich cookies, stir a little into frosting, mix it into mascarpone cream for tiramisù, serve it a top waffles or pancakes, spread it on a slice of pound cake, slather it on brioche, or, more simply: eat a spoonful or two straight out of the jar. And mostly, be thankful you don’t have to wait until your next trip to Italy to eat the ever-so-dreamy confection that is crema di pistacchio.

A couple of notes: This homemade crema di pistacchio should be kept in the fridge and eaten within one week. However, if you can use sterilized, sealed jars (for all you jam-makers) it will last, sealed, in the pantry for up to one month — eat within a week of opening the jar.

Looking for other pistachio-centric recipes? Click here. I also have a recipe for homemade nutella.

CREMA DI PISTACCHIO

Recipe translated and slightly adapted from the blog Misya. Makes 1 large jar of pistachio cream.

Ingredients:
4 ounces (120 grams) of shelled, unsalted pistachios
1/2 cup (100 grams) of sugar
4 ounces (100 grams) white chocolate
3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
A good pinch of salt

Directions:
Spread the pistachios in a single layer on in a small baking pan. Bake in the center of a preheated 325°F (160C) oven, stirring the nuts every 5 minutes or so. Keep a close eye on them — the pistachios can go quickly go from just right to burned. When they turn fragrant and are very light golden, they’re done. Let the pistachios cool.

Using a food processor, grind the pistachios until fine, and then add the sugar and blend it again. Add half of the milk and mix. Melt the butter, white chocolate, and remaining milk in a small pan over low heat. Add the pistachio mixture to the white chocolate mixture along with the vanilla extract, keeping the heat low. Add a good pinch of salt to the crema, and mix until smooth. Taste and see if more salt is needed.

Let the crema di pistacchio cool, and then pour into a jar (see notes).