Warm Pistachio Moelleux

Reprinted with permission. © CITY HARVEST: 100 Recipes From Great New York Restaurants by Florence Fabricant, Rizzoli New York, 2015. Images from CITY HARVEST © Noah Fecks.

• Servings: 8 to 10.

From City Harvest: 100 Recipes From Great New York Restaurants and the Dominique Ansel Bakery, the source of the world-famous Cronut. This fragrant and pale green cake can be baked as a single cake or as individual muffins, served with or without its warm chocolate rum sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, in pieces
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon dark rum

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spread 2/3 cup of the pistachios on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 10 minutes. Allow the nuts to cool, then roughly chop them. Set them aside.
2. Place the remaining 1/3 cup pistachios in a food processor and process them to a paste, scraping the bowl a few times. Set the paste aside. Combine the flour and salt and set them aside.
3. Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan.
4. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat in the brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in the pistachio paste. Fold in the flour mixture, either by hand or on the lowest mixer speed. Fold in 1/2 cup of the toasted chopped pistachios.
5. Spread the batter in the pan and bake until the cake is nicely browned and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Allow it to cool on a rack and then unmold it.
6. When the cake has cooled, combine the chocolate and cream in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture gently until the chocolate is nearly melted. Remove the pan from the heat and stir until the mixture is smooth and shiny. Stir in the rum. Spread this ganache over the top and sides of the cake. Decorate the top with the remaining pistachios.

Cook’s notes:   Commercial pistachio paste can be used instead of making your own; you will need 5 ounces. Another way to decorate the cake is by covering the sides with finely chopped, toasted pistachios. Do not refrigerate this cake. To bake individual cakes use 4- or 6-ounce muffin or financier cups to make two dozen or more. Bake them about 25 minutes.

Second Helpings:  There might, just might, be a little cake left over. If you do not wish to keep it for late-night snacking, consider freezing it to use in a trifle or other layered dessert.