Pistachio Buttercream Frosting
The thing about this pistachio buttercream frosting is that it's a not-so-cleverly disguised French buttercream. It uses egg yolks, a sugar syrup, tons of--you guessed it--butter, and pistachio butter, also known as "paste." It makes an incredibly smooth, lickable, lappable, attackable frosting in about as long as it takes to make an American buttercream frosting.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Generous pinch salt
- 4 sticks (1 lb) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, cut into pieces
- 1/3 cup unsalted pistachio paste
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the yolks until light in color, 3 to 5 minutes.
- In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the water, sugar, and salt, stir constantly to dissolve the sugar.
- Once the sugar mixture comes to a boil stop stirring. Continue to boil until the mixture registers 240°F (115°C) on a candy thermometer, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Turn the mixer on low, and carefully–carefully, I say!–slowly dribble in the sugar syrup, avoiding the spinning beater. Once the sugar syrup is incorporated, bump the speed up to medium-high and continue beating until the mixture is completely cool, about 5 minutes.
☞ TESTER TIP: If the egg mixture is even the least bit warm, it'll melt the butter, and you'll be staring at a puddle--of frosting and your tears.
- Once the mixture is cool, add the butter, a knob at a time, beating until the buttercream is luscious and smooth, about 5 minutes.
- Spoon in the pistachio butter and whir to combine until silky smooth, about 1 minute.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 173mg | Sodium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g