Do you have a favorite nut? Are you an almond admirer or a pecan freak or are walnuts your thing? For me as much as I love almonds, pecans and walnuts (cashews are good on their own but don’t like them in desserts) I really have a thing for pistachios. It is weird really because most of my life I absolutely despised those hard white shells and wrinkly green little nutmeats. But then something changed and I discovered that I really liked pistachios. Who knew! Now I can’t get enough of them, especially in dessert form. Pistachio cakes, crushed pistachios garnished on frostings, when I see a glimmer of green pistachio flecks my heart flutters with excitement. That brings me to a pistachio lovers haven – Intelligentsia coffee. Intelligentsia offers an array of sweet treats daily to accompany their coffee selection and they have two truly incredible pistachio delights: pistachio teacakes and pistachio éclairs.
The teacakes are buttery and rich dense cake that is studded with crushed pistachios. They seem to be soaked in a lemon simple syrup too and are bursting with bright spring flavors.
The pistachio éclairs are a thing of beauty. The éclair shell is perfect, tender yet firm, housing a delicate pistachio cream filling. The sweet icing on top is coated with finely crushed pistachios as well. This éclairs is on of my favorite pistachio desserts around!
If you have a hankering for something nutty, bright and sweet Intelligentsia is the place to quell your pistachio cravings!
I’ve always liked snacking on pistachios, but I don’t like nuts in my desserts. THEN, one day I had a bite of pistachio gelato. It changed my life. I can’t get enough!
OMG, I love pistachios. Like a lot! So excited to visit the ORIGINAL Intelligentsia in Chicago
love pistachios!!! I wish I could reach into the computer and grab a few of the treats.
if only
the pistachio eclair and coffee in the first picture just look divine!
Did you just say, “nutmeats”? Just checking!
The eclair looks amazing. Pistachios are my friends too.
Cathy – just making sure everyone is reading
Superb post. I agree about pistachios (that meat: yum!!) but I would not have been able to write a post with such nutty but cebarrel flair. (Eiher one or the other for me.) BTW, I also love cashews. Wish I hadn’t been barely in blogland for another hiatus. I love reading librarian’s blogs.