By David Tisue

The Surveyor

Pistachio Swirled Blondies are just plain addictive. What could be more fun than a little bit of green for St. Patrick’s Day? These blondies are not your normal blondie. They are swirled with pistachio paste and studded with even more pistachios.

One of my favorite nuts to snack on is pistachios. I’ve spent many an hour cracking open the shells and eating them hunched over a little bowl to catch the shells. Their fantastic flavor is worth all the effort of individually cracking each shell before eating them. People have been enjoying these nuts for more than 9,000 years. Pistachios originated in the Middle East and are related to cashews. Fun fact: they are one of only two nuts mentioned in the Bible, almonds being the other one. Pistachios have been cultivated since the beginning of civilization. The Queen of Sheba even greedily made it illegal for commoners to grow them and only in the royal orchards for her and her royal entourage.

Nowadays, of course, you can find them in your local store. And for even more convenience, you can find them shelled, roasted and salted. Though I will admit, I actually prefer to eat them, cracking each shell as I go. It’s sort of like a diet aid. It slows you down and makes just eating handfuls more difficult. But, of course, it’s easier to use them shelled for baking.

These Pistachio Swirled Blondies are fantastic! They have a wonderful flavor and they cook up beautifully. I wanted to show off the flavor of pistachios, not anything else except vanilla. And the ground pistachio paste running through these blondies is just perfection. I did blanch the nuts to rub off their outer skin to lessen the brown color and remove some of the nuts’ salt. The blanching is another step, but not that much more. You could buy premade pistachio paste, but it is costly. You don’t have to rub off all the skin, either, just rub them between paper towels and much of the skin will come off. There’s no need to be perfect at it.

Make some of these Pistachio Blondies for St Patrick’s day. They are the perfect treat. As always, please think of others in what you choose to do. Hopefully, bring some joy to those you encounter. We all need a smile now and then.

Golden blondies swirled with pistachio paste and studded with even more pistachios
Makes nine large or 16 small squares.
Ingredients:
For the pistachio paste
1 1/2 cups shelled pistachios, roasted and salted or ½ cup pistachio paste
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water
For the batter
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Butter or coat with cooking spray a 9 X 9-inch square baking pan. You can also line the pan with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
Pistachio paste

Photo by David Tisue

Bring a small pan of water to a boil. Add the 1 ½ cups of pistachios and let boil for one full minute.
Drain the pistachios and let them cool briefly on paper towels to get any excess moisture off the nuts.
Rub off the pistachios’ outer skins using your fingers and the paper towels. It may take a bit of effort, but it is worth it. You don’t have to be perfect. It’s more for the color.
Separate out 2/3 cup of the pistachios and set them aside.
Process the remaining pistachios until very finely ground in a food processor or blender. Add the powdered sugar and the water and process until very smooth and it makes a paste. This will take about five minutes.
Add one teaspoon of vanilla and process until well blended. You should end up with a little more than ½ cup pistachio paste.
To make the batter
Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl or 4-cup measuring cup and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown and white sugars together. Beat until well creamed and fluffy, about three minutes.
Add the eggs, egg yolk, and one tablespoon vanilla, beat until well blended in, and the mixture is again fluffy for about a minute.
Stir in by hand the flour mixture.
Mix in the reserved 1/3 cup of whole pistachio nuts.
Spread the batter into the 9 X 9-inch prepared pan.
Drop the pistachio paste on top of the batter in large spoonfuls and use a butter knife or even your clean fingers to make big swirls. Do not over-swirl — you want big ribbons of pistachio paste.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the brownies are golden brown, set on the edges and the center has puffed up. The middle will still be pretty doughy, but they will continue to cook as they cool!
Once the Pistachio Blondies are cool, cut them into squares.
They will keep for about a week, covered or you can freeze them.