--- airs weeknights on SBS Food at 7.00pm and 10.00pm, or stream it free on . Catch the pistachio episode - which features a delicious Turkish pastry - Friday 27 August. ---
For fans of pistachios, the combination of nuts, golden pastry and sticky syrup in a pistachio baklava (like from Somer Sivrioglu of Sydney's Efendy restaurant) is especially divine. But don't stop there! Happily, there are plenty more delicious creations where pistachio meets pastry.
When rhubarb is in season, sieze the day and make this wonderful pie, which has finely ground pistachios as part of the frangipane used in the filling.
Source: The Pie Project
Knafeh (also called künefe) is a beautiful Middle Eastern dessert made with stringy kataifi pastry and filled with cheese. In this recipe, Joey El-Issa uses a mixture of firm ricotta and shredded mozzarella, layered between rounds of kataifi pastry. Sugar syrup is poured over the top after baking.
Knafeh Source: Andrew Dorn
"This dessert is made in the same way as künefe, but with ground nuts inside rather than cheese. I like to scatter freshly ground pistachios over the top as I love the contrast between the roasty flavours of the nuts in the middle, and the bright green nuts on top," says Rebecca Seal of this Turkish pastry. Ground pistachios are layered between butter-tossed kadayif pastry; after cooking sugar syrup is poured over the tray of hot pastry, creating a sweet delight that can be eaten on its own or served with thick cream or ice-cream for dessert.
Source: Hardie Grant Books
Crushed pistachios are the crowning touch on these cannoli al cacao con ricotta. This version of the much-loved Italian sweet adds cinnamon, cocoa and coffee to the pastry.
Cocoa cannoli with ricotta (cannoli al cacao con ricotta). Source: Paola Bacchia
This particularly delicious intersection of pastry and pancake hails from Anatolia in Turkey. While the pastry is traditionally made by hand, this version, from the book Anatolia by Somer Sivrioglu and David Dale, uses filo pastry for a quick but just as indulgent take.
Pistachio pancakes with clotted cream Source: Bree Hutchins
If you watch Özge Kalvo stretch out her homemade pastry in The Cook Up with Adam Liaw and get inspired to try it yourself, good news: she's shared her recipe. The filling is sugar, pistachios and clotted cream, although you can use double thick cream or clotted cream instead.
Source: Danielle Abou Karam
Filo pastry, pistachios, walnuts, sesame seeds and mixed sweet spice come together in these golden clusters. Eat them as a snack, or with yoghurt and fruit for breakfast.
Source: Rob Palmer
From the Middle East, we now travel to Italy, for this nutty pastry. Walnuts in the pastry and toasted pistachios in the fresh fig filling create an easy tart that's delicious with a dollop of cream.
Get more sweet ideas in the .
Source: Danielle Abou Karam
