Italian Pistachio Torte Recipes

PISTACHIO TORTE

Steps:

• For the crust, mix together the flour, butter and nuts.
• Press in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.
• Bake at 325 for 15 minutes.
• Let cool.
• Mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 cup cool whip.
• Spread on top of crust.
• Mix well the pudding and milk.
• Pour on top of cream cheese mixture and let set.
• Top with remaining cool whip.
• May top with chopped nuts if desired.

CHOCOLATE-PISTACHIO FUDGE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• For the crust: Place the pistachios, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to roughly chop. Add the graham crackers and pulse until finely chopped. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture has the consistency of wet sand. Press the mixture evenly over the bottom of the springform pan. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• For the filling: Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the cream, vanilla and salt until just beginning to simmer around the edges. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let sit for 2 minutes, and then whisk until smooth and shiny. Pour the chocolate filling over the crust and sprinkle with the chopped apricots. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until ready to serve.
• Serve with whipped cream if desired.

THIS PISTACHIO TORTE IS AN EASY DESSERT KIDS CAN MAKE FOR MOM!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, use two forks to combine flour and butter (or pinch together using your hands), until dough resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans. Pour into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish and use your hands or the bottom of a drinking glass to press crumbs into a smooth crust along the bottom. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Scrape the bowl, add powdered sugar and beat until well combined. Fold in 1 cup thawed whipped topping. Carefully spread cream cheese mixture over prepared crust and smooth with a spatula. In a medium bowl, beat together pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes on high speed. Spread pudding mixture evenly over cream cheese layer. Spread remaining whipped topping evenly over pudding. Chill in the fridge 1 hour before serving. Kitchen Counter Per serving: 554 calories, 35g fat, 55g carb., 6g prot., 326mg sodium, 1g fiber, 63mg chol, 32g sugar

FLUFFY PISTACHIO DESSERT

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat margarine until smooth. Add flour and sugar; blend until crumbly. Stir in walnuts. , Press onto the bottom of a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool. , In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sour cream. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over the crust. In another bowl, combine milk and pudding mixes; beat on low speed for 2 minutes. , Spread over first layer. Carefully spread whipped topping over second layer. Sprinkle with walnuts. Chill at least 1 hour.

SPUMONI TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of three greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper. Prepare cake mix batter according to package directions, adding almond extract before mixing batter. Transfer to prepared pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool as package directs., In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar; beat until soft peaks form. Place 1-1/2 cups whipped cream in each of 3 bowls. In a another bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix 2 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold pudding into 1 bowl of whipped cream. In second bowl of whipped cream, beat in 3 tablespoon cream cheese, cocoa and remaining confectioners' sugar until combined. In third bowl, beat in maraschino cherries, almond extract and remaining cream cheese., Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with pistachio filling. Top with another cake layer; spread with maraschino filling. Top with remaining cake layer; spread with chocolate filling. Refrigerate until serving.

ITALIAN PISTACHIO TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches. Beat granulated sugar, 3/4 cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla and the eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 5 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in flour and baking powder alternately with 2/3 cup milk on low speed. Fold 1/3 cup of the nuts into batter. Spread in pan.
• Bake 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Cut cake horizontally to make 3 layers. (Mark sides of cake with toothpicks, and cut with long, thin serrated knife.)
• Mix ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, 1/3 cup chocolate chips, 3 tablespoons milk and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Spread ricotta mixture over bottom and middle cake layers; stack layers. Add top cake layer.
• Heat 1/4 cup chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon butter and the corn syrup in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted; cool slightly. Stir in water. Spread chocolate mixture over top of torte. Sprinkle with remaining nuts. Let stand until chocolate mixture is firm. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 48 hours.

PISTACHIO TORTE WITH LEMON-CARDAMOM GLAZE

Steps:

• Make torte: Preheat oven to 375°F and butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line bottom of pan with a round of wax paper and butter paper.
• In a food process or blender finely grind pistachios with 3/4 cup of sugar. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in flour, butter, zest, vanilla, and almond extract. In another bowl with an electric mixer, beat whites with salt until they barely hold soft peaks and gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar until meringue just holds stiff peaks. Stir one third of meringue into pistachio mixture to lighten and fold in remaining meringue gently but thoroughly. Pour batter into pan.
• Bake torte in middle of oven 40 minutes, or until it pulls away from side of pan and top is golden brown. Cool torte in pan on rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of pan and remove side. Invert torte onto rack and remove bottom of pan. Carefully peel off wax paper and cool torte completely. Torte may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and kept wrapped well in plastic wrap in an airtight container at room temperature (I have found it also freezes well).
• Make glaze: in small bowl whisk together the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and cardamom until smooth. Drizzle over top of torte and let drip down the side.
• Garnish top with chopped pistachios and let glaze set. Recipe suggests serving with ice cream, but I never have.