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 Fruity Pistachio Bread

A deliciously rich fruit loaf with a tangy citrus icing, similar to stollen and great as a coffee-time treat.

Ingredients

To produce take 175g of strong white bread flour, a 1 tsp of fresh yeast, 25g of caster sugar, 100g of icing sugar, 40g of salted butter, 50g of sultanas, 50g, of glace cherries, 100g of pistachio nuts, 50g of ground almonds, 100ml of tepid milk, 2 limes, and 10 cardamom pods.

 Method

Preheat an oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Grease a 500g loaf tin. First grind the cardamom pods with a mortar and pestle and mortar to release the seeds. Discard the pods. Place the seeds into a mixing bowl. Zest the limes. Add the zest, flour, yeast, caster and sugar. Mix. Add the softened butter. Rub. Separate the egg. Add the yolk, retaining the white. Pour in the milk. Mix all of the ingredients together with a palette knife, producing a soft dough. Add a little extra milk if the dough feels dry, it should have the consistency of putty. Turn out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place dough into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place until doubled in size. About an hour. Place half of the pistachios into a food processor together with all the almonds. Whiz until the pistachios are blitzed. The mixture should be a pale green colour. Add half of the icing sugar and all of the egg white. Blend to a thick paste. Add a little extra egg white if the paste is to crumbly. Turn out onto a bench and roll into a cylindrical shape, slightly shorter than the length of the loaf tin. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Sprinkle the remaining pistachio nuts over the dough. Fold over, working the pistachios into the mix. Do this again with the sultanas and cherries, kneading the dough until the nuts and fruits are evenly distributed. Flatten the dough with the palm of the hand. Lay the pistachio paste cylinder over the centre of the dough. Wrap the dough around the paste forming a parcel. Press into the greased loaf tin, making sure that the join is underneath. Cover loosely with oiled clingfilm and allow to rest in a warm place for about an hour. When the dough has risen to the top of the tin it is ready to bake. Place in the oven for about 25 minutes, until golden. Tip out of the tin and tap the base. If it sounds hollow, the bread is cooked. If not, return to the oven for a little longer. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Blend the remaining icing sugar with the lime juice to make a smooth paste. Drizzle over the top of the bread. Serve.