Pink Posset and Pistachios

There were a number of blood oranges in my veg box last week. I always find them rather alarming when cutting into them and they tend to spurt red juice everywhere... well all over the work surface, down my front and on my new oven gloves to be precise. I wasn't wearing oven gloves to cut the oranges by the way I just hadn't hung them up... that'll teach me!

 

 

Anyway, as the family decided they were a little on the sharp side I decided I needed to find a way of using them. Now after the event, I'm thinking marmalade but at the time I didn't think marmalade but more posset. Although after my last posset post I'm loathed to call it that as the name seemed to put people off!

 

So I made some "Blood Orange Posset Creams".

I followed the same recipe as before but added the juice of two oranges... which I then discovered is the same as Raymond Blanc's recipe. However it tasted a little bit too sweet so I added the juice of a lemon too (what does Raymond Blanc know?)*

 

I'd put them in the fridge to set where they caused much concern. They were such an awful artificial pink colour that Joe thought I'd dropped my standards and I'd made Angel Delight... as if!!!* But once they were taken out and decorated with some segments of orange...

 

and accompanied by more pistachio shortbread, they passed muster and were devoured with relish... despite appearances. And very good they were too!

 

Which brings me to the point of this post (does there need to be a point?)... to give you the shortbread recipe which I promise will be one of the best you have tasted!

 

Pistachio Shortbread

200g plain flour

225g unsalted butter, softened

125g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla paste

150g ground almonds

50g unsalted pistachios, chopped 

 

Cream together the butter and sugar. Gradually work in the vanilla, flour and almonds, adding the pistachios as the mixture starts to hold together. This can be done in a food processor (or a shiny new red mixer!) but be careful not to overwork the dough, adding the pistachios at the end as they can become oily if ground too fine. Wrap the dough in cling film and rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes... don't skip this step! Heat the oven to 180 deg C. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured board, to about 7 mm thick and cut out biscuit shapes. Place onto cookie sheets lined with baking parchment leaving plenty of space around each biscuit as they do spread. Prick lightly with a fork and bake for 15 -18 mins until just starting to colour. Sprinkle with caster sugar and allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container... or eat but they do make about 24 biscuits so that might be too much in one go.

 

I've got a weekend of family here for lunch, more arriving for dinner, birthday cake and rehearsals for me (more about that another time). Hope your weekend is good!

* I should say that in the interest of accuracy and avoidance of law suits that Raymond Blanc actually knows quite a bit about cooking and Angel Delight contains no artificial colours.. Phew!