Here is a Pistachio sponge cake dessert that is another one of my favorites. I did a very similar dessert a year or so ago except I did it in a jar with cherries. This one is rolled into a jelly roll or buche de noel. Pistachio, almond and custard is probably my top 3 dessert flavors although there's not many desserts that I don't like. Chocolate probably being my least favorite although I have come to appreciate them as well.
Pistachio sponge Jelly roll cake
Pistachio pastry cream
7 oz pistachio paste or cream
3 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
6 egg yolks
1/4 plus an 1/8th cup corn starch
3 tbsp butter
Pistachio sponge cake
150g 3 eggs
54g 2 yolks
111g sugar
35g flour tbsp
25g almond flour 4 tbsp
35 g pistachio flour 1/4 cup ground pistachio
128g 3 egg whites
3 tbsp sugar
Drops of pistachio extract
Ground pistachios
Meringue see recipe
Cranberry Sorbet see recipe
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
For the pistachio sponge cake,
Place eggs, yolks, and 111g sugar into a stand mixer. Whisk until thick and pale yellow about 5 minutes. Then add the flour, pistachio flour, and almond flour to the egg mixture and mix well. Then pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Clean out the mixing bowl and then place egg whites into the bowl. Whisk egg whites until triple in volume and then add the 3 tbsp of sugar. Whisk until stiff peaks and add pistachio extract. Then fold the egg whites into the egg-flour mixture in 3 parts. Pour the batter onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and smooth surface with offset spatula. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown and cake tester comes out clean.
For the Pistachio Pastry Cream,
Scald the milk with pistachio paste and vanilla bean paste in a medium sauce pot. Turn off the heat when the milk starts to a boil. Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a stand mixer set to high, until the eggs and sugar form pale white ribbons. Add the corn starch to the eggs and beat for 30 seconds. Temper the eggs by whisking in one ladle of milk at a time until all the milk is incorporated with the egg mixture. Place the egg mixture back onto medium low heat and whisk continually until it thickens. Allow about 10 minutes, but don't boil. Once it has thickened incorporate butter then pour the pudding into a bowl to cool. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the pudding so it doesn't form a skin, and place in the refrigerator. Cool completely.
To Finish
Place a large piece of parchment paper on your counter top. Lightly sprinkle paper with powdered sugar. Flip the pistachio sponge cake over onto the sprinkled parchment paper. Peel back the parchment paper that is now facing you from the bottom of the cake. Then take an offset spatula and add an even layer of pistachio pastry cream on the sponge cake, leaving about an 1/2 border all around the sponge cake (option cut cake in half to make two smaller rolls) Then roll the sponge cake up and keep it wrapped in parchment paper and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
To Plate
Simply place ground pistachio nuts on the plate and on top of the pistachio roll. Cut a slice of the pistachio roll and place on the plate. Add a scoop of cranberry sorbet on top of the ground pistachios. Pipe a small bit of meringue to the side of the roll and sorbet. Serve and enjoy!
