If you love pistachio’s you will love these.  The recipe is my recipe for for peanut butter cups with a few tweaks.  If you want to make peanut butter cups, leave out the almond extract and substitute the pistachio’s with finely ground peanuts, peanut butter or just peanut butter for a smooth and creamy Peanut Butter cup.  I like a little crunch in my PB cups which is why I add the peanut crumbs.

This recipe came about when I started making peanut butter cups and there was not enough peanut butter and no peanuts in the jar to make more.  Hmmm. I had already started melting the chocolate for the outer shell and saw the jar of pistachio’s.  Pistachio’s have a delicate flavor when compared to peanuts.  I kept the ingredients simple as I didn’t want to overpower the pistachio flavor.  Ground pistachios, butter, powdered sugar, salt, and almond extract.  Having read Pierre Hermé’s book Macaron in entirety, I recalled that he mentions how almond extract/essence brings out the flavour of pistachio’s in his macarons. Of course, you may leave it out, but it does heighten the flavour of the pistachio’s.

After making the first batch I had debated over the recipe, was the flavour strong enough. The next day I had guests in for the weekend and after a few taste testing samples expressed their opinion to quote, “They are perfect, do not change a thing”.  So here it is Anna.  Thank you. xo

Pistachio CrumbsMeasure out the ingredientsAdd the pistachios to the food processor, cover and start pulsing for 15-20 secondsKeep PulsingContinue pulsing until you get to a small crumb texture about 45 seconds to 1 minute.  Remove from food processor and set aside.

Pistachio Paste

Add the other cup of pistachios to the processor

Turn the processor to on and let grind to a thick paste 3-5 min depending on the power of your processor

Stopping to scrape down any lodge pistachio pieces from lid or sidesKeep going.  Just like in my homemade peanut butter recipe, the pistachios will start to ball up before turning to a paste.The paste or pistachio butter should look like thisIt doesn’t need to be completely smooth,  just puree long enough to make a paste and release the oils from the pistachios set aside.

Pistachio butter cup fillingAdd the coconut manna or vegan butter to a medium-sized mixing bowlCream the butter by hand before adding all remaining ingredientsAdd in the ground pistachiosThe sifted icing sugarThe pistachio pasteStir to combine all ingredientsAdd the almond extractStir to combineSet paste aside

Prepare chocolate

Place either a sauce pan with a heat-proof bowl or a double boiler with 2 inches of water over medium heatAdd the chocolate chips or pieces.Melt over medium heat until completely melted. Let sit over the warm water but off the burner until ready to use.While chocolate is melting add baking cup papers or candy papers to a muffin tinI like to add the chocolate to one of these wilton squeeze bottles, but a tablespoon works.Add about 2 teaspoons of chocolate to the bottom of each baking cup

Give the muffin tin a few gentle taps on the counter to spread the chocolateSet to the side

Measure out the pistachio butter mix using a 1 tablespoon scoop or measuring spoon.

Gently roll the mixture between the palm of your hands to a ball shape.  At this point you could set aside to make pistachio truffles like these.Flatten the mix so it just fills the bottom of the tin, making sure to leave enough space for a thin layer of chocolate to cover the sides and the topSet in place and continue until all the mix is used.

Cover with 1 tablespoon of the melted chocolateNo special tools required, a tablespoon works fine.
Give the tin another couple taps on the counter to flatten the chocolate.  Add a little more melted chocolate if you see any of the pistachio filling.

Top with a pistachio and place in the refrigerator until set.  Remove from pan and enjoy. These are best kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks for best taste and freshness.

Remove the paper cups before serving on a platter.  They won’t last longThese would make a delicious treat to give away for the holidays for a pistachio loving friend.

Try making them into truffle shapes as pictured here.