Pistachio Muffins

Pistachio muffins topped with pistachio crumble

Pistachio Muffins - No Pudding Mix!

Dive into the rich flavors of Pistachio Muffins! Perfectly balanced with a hint of almond and creamy mascarpone, they’re a perfect option for breakfast, brunch, or as a dessert with a bit of Italian flair.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 20

Servings muffins

Calories 444kcal

Author Pina Bresciani

Ingredients

1 ⅓ cup raw shelled pistachios
1.5 cups all purpose flour
2.5 teaspoon baking powder
⅔ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
⅓ cup mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
⅔ cup whole milk

Pistachio Crumble (optional)

¼ cup raw shelled pistachios
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1.5 tablespoon unsalted butter

Pistachio Filling (optional)

4.5 tablespoon pistachio cream

Instructions

Make the pistachio crumble (optional step)

Grind the pistachios in a food processor or blender until they're the consistency of coarse crumbs.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add in the pistachios and sugar and mix until well incorporated. Set aside.

Prepare the pistachio filling (optional step)

Place half tbsp-sized discs of pistachio cream on a piece of parchment paper. Place in the freezer until ready to use.

Make the Muffins

In a food processor or blender grind up the pistachios until they are a sand- like texture.
In a large bowl mix together the pistachios, flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, a few minutes.
Add in the mascarpone and mix until incorporated. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla extract and almond extract, and mix once more. Note that the mixture will most likely be clumpy, but this is ok, the clumps of butter will melt nicely into the muffins.
Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and fold in with a spatula.
Optional step: cover the muffin mixture with cling wrap and set aside for one hour. This will give the leavener time to activate and give the muffins their dome shape.
Preheat the oven to 400f.
Line a muffin pan with 9 muffin liners. Using an ice cream scoop, place a small amount of muffin mixture into the liner. Then place the frozen pistachio cream disc on top, if using.
Finish by placing the rest of the muffin mixture on top of the pistachio cream.
Repeat for all 9 muffins.
Add the pistachio crumble to the top of each muffin.
Place the muffins in the oven. Bake at 400f for 10 minutes.
Drop the temperature down to 350f and without removing the muffins from the oven, continue baking for another 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool, remove from the tin and enjoy!

Video

Notes

The wet mixture with the butter/sugar eggs, milk etc, will most likely be clumpy once mixed together. This is ok, since the butter will melt nicely into the muffins once baked
To ensure a consistent muffin size, always use an ice cream scoop or a similar measuring tool to distribute the batter into the liners.
If you have the time, allowing the batter to rest, as suggested, can indeed result in a better muffin dome due to the activation of the baking powder.
Insert a toothpick or skewer into the center of a muffin; if it comes out with a few crumbs but not wet batter, the muffins are ready.
When combining wet and dry ingredients, mix just until they come together to keep the muffins from becoming too dense.

Nutrition