Pistachio cream from Sicily

Pistachio cream from Sicily, sweet and creamy with 35 percent pistachios

The pistachio cream from Sicily is a sweet, spreadable cream containing 35 percent Sicilian pistachios. Creamy like hazelnut spread, nutty and delicate, perfect for spreading or eating by the spoonful – not a savory pesto, but a sweet indulgence for dessert.

Pistachio cream from Sicily is a sweet spread made from peeled Sicilian pistachios, finely ground and blended with sugar, a little milk, and oil into a velvety cream. In Italian, it is called Crema di Pistacchio. Pale pistachio green, glossy, and thick, it tastes sweet and intensely of pistachio, with the rounded melt-in-the-mouth texture of a fine hazelnut spread.

Pistachio green, creamy, with a hazelnut-like melt

The pistachio cream has a delicate green glow and releases a fine, sweet pistachio aroma when opened. The scent is reminiscent of marzipan and roasted nuts, with a green freshness underlying it.

On the spoon, it is thick and velvety, glossy like liquid marzipan. It melts slowly on the tongue, sweet and rounded, with the full, slightly salty note of roasted pistachios and the melt-in-the-mouth quality of a hazelnut spread. It is definitely sweet, which is characteristic of this type of cream – a small spoonful goes a long way.

On brioche, over ice cream, in desserts

It belongs in the world of sweets – on bread in the morning, over ice cream in the evening, or simply off the spoon in between.

Spread on warm brioche or toast, onto a croissant, or filled into a cornetto, the pistachio cream becomes a small breakfast luxury. Drizzled over a scoop of vanilla ice cream or panna cotta, it turns a dessert into something special, and it adds its nutty sweetness to tiramisu, cakes, or as a filling for doughnuts. And alongside an espresso or a bar of dark chocolate, a spoonful on its own is almost a small dessert in itself.

It also pairs well with cheese and fruit – with creamy ricotta, fresh figs, or on a spoonful of mascarpone, and as a dip for strawberries or bananas, it becomes a quick treat.

Made from Sicilian pistachios from Mount Etna

The pistachios for the cream are grown in Sicily, where the best in Italy flourish – around Bronte at the foot of Mount Etna.

On the dark volcanic soils of Mount Etna, Sicilian pistachios ripen slowly, becoming particularly aromatic and deep green, prized worldwide for desserts and pastries. The Arabs brought the pistachio to Sicily, and to this day, almost the entire Italian harvest comes from the island. Sicilian pistachios are smaller and more intense than others and naturally color creams and ice cream green.

For the cream, the pistachios are peeled, finely ground, and blended with sugar and a little milk into a velvety spread. It is brought together under the banner of the Antica Bottega Siciliana, which Salvatore Novara runs in Trapani – alongside honey, jam, and pesto from small producers on the island.

If oil separates, simply stir

If some oil separates on the surface, this is normal for a cream with real pistachios – simply stir, and it will be velvety again. After opening, store in a cool, dry place and consume within a few weeks. Because it is so sweet and intense, a teaspoon is sufficient; on lukewarm pastries, it becomes soft and creamy and smells even more intense.