Pistachio Muffins

Pistachio muffins are a delight for lovers of this precious dried fruit. Here’s how to make them:

Ingredients

• 200 g of 00 flour
• 100 g of sugar
• 100 g of melted butter
• 120 ml of milk
• 2 eggs
• 80 g of unsalted pistachios
• 1 packet of baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• Grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)
• Chopped or granulated pistachios for decoration

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. In a food processor, finely chop the pistachios until they are almost like flour. Set some aside for decoration.
3. In a bowl, mix the sifted flour with the baking powder and salt.
4. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until you obtain a light and frothy mixture.
5. Add the sugar, melted butter, milk, and grated lemon zest to the egg mixture, stirring well after each addition.
6. Incorporate the chopped pistachios into the wet mixture.
7. Combine the wet mix with the dry mix, stirring gently until the batter is homogeneous, but avoiding overworking it.
8. Prepare a muffin tin with paper liners and fill each liner about 2/3 full with the batter.
9. If desired, sprinkle the surface of each muffin with pistachio granules for a crunchy finish.
10. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
11. Let the muffins cool before serving.

To make the pistachio muffins even more Italian, you could add a touch of pistachio cream inside each muffin before baking, creating a soft and surprising heart to the taste.

Trivia

In Italy, Bronte pistachio is highly appreciated in pastry and ice cream making for its unique flavor and superior quality. This wonderful dried fruit comes from the slopes of Etna in Sicily and is harvested every two years, making it particularly precious.