Lenôtre’s Pistachio Raspberry Cakes

The Raspberry Filling

1. Mix the Raspberry Jam (½ Cup or 180 g) in a Cup Food Chopper or with an immersion blender

2.  Place in the freezer

3.  Wait for 1 hour at least

The Batter

4.  Dice the Butter (4 Tablespoons or 50 g) and let soften at room temperature for 1 hour

5. In a large mixing bowl, mix with a spatula the Butter (4 Tablespoons or 50 g) and the Pistachio Paste (⅓ Cup or 70 g)

6. Add in (but do not whisk them) the Egg Whites (½ Cup or 120 g) and mix

You may find pistachio paste in specialized stores, but the best way to enjoy your own pastries is to make the paste yourself

I am showing you a few recipes HERE

7. Sift above the bowl : the Icing Sugar (½ Cup or 90 g), the Almond Flour (¾ Cup or 70 g), the Flour (⅓ Cup or 50 g) and the Baking Powder (½ teaspoon or 1 g)

8. Mix

The Whipped Egg whites

9. Whisk the Egg Whites (4 Tablespoons or 60 g) to soft peak

10. Beat on high until firm peaks start to form, then add in the Sugar (2 Tablespoons or 30 g) and keep whisking (the sugar holds them together)

Folding the whites

11. We now need to fold the whipped whites into the batter

12. Add 1/3 of the whipped whites into the bowl

13. With a wire whip, fold, by gently turning the whisk to incorporate the whites

14.  Do NOT whisk ! Whisking would break the whipped whites

15. Repeat twice with the remaining thirds of the whites

Mise en moule

16. For the molds, I am using silicone molds, 2.75" (or 2 3/4" or 7 cm) in diameter. To purchase online, see HERE

17. Pour one half of the batter in the muffin molds

18. You may use a Pastry Bag, a spoon, or a measuring cup with spout

19. Pour the Raspberry Jam (½ Cup or 180 g). If you had placed it in the freezer (as I mentioned), the jam is easier to place, otherwise it may be too liquidy

20. Pour the remaining batter to cover the jam. Make sure to stop before the top

Pistachios Bits

21. You may add pistachio bits before baking. Pros: they will stick to the batter. Cons: They may overbake and get too dark. (I prefer adding those after baking).

22. Mince Pistachios (½ Cup or 50 g) with a Cup Food Chopper (or with a knife)

23. Sprinkle on the batter

Cooling down

24.  Important : Cover with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This step is important, as the batter continues to absorb the flour. As a result, the cakes will bake better, trust me.

Baking

25.  Bake in preheated oven at 320 °F / 160 °C for 20/30 minutes

26.  To check whether the cakes are fully baked, put a knife into a cake and if it comes out clean they are cooked

Topping

27. If you had decided to add the pistachio bits before baking, they may be too dark, and you may want to sprinkle some Icing Sugar

28. If you had not added pistachio bits yet, you may want to add them now. With a pastry brush, brush the cakes with jam or syrup (this will be our glue)

29. Then, cover with the chopped Pistachios (½ Cup or 50 g)

30. You can top with the Raspberries (6)