Pistachio cupcakes

Do you have a problem with nudity? I don't. Well, not when it comes to my cupcakes. I think an unadorned and in fact, un-iced cupcake is just as appealing as a cupcake that's prettied up with all forms of icing and decorative shapes. 

Maybe I'm saying this because I don't have a choice: I suck at decorating cakes.

No, no. I really do like a simple, rustic cupcake. The ones my mother used to make looked like these. I love my mother and I loved her cupcakes. I didn't have my mother in mind when I made these Pistachio Cupcakes but as I watched them bake, I remembered the weekends of my childhood where I used to spend in the kitchen watching her bake. A marble cake, cupcakes, pancakes ... those were some good times. 

So, yeah. Naked cupcakes are fine.

BLAST  FROM THE PAST: Just like the ones my mummy used to make.

Now these Pistachio beauties are courtesy of Martha Stewart, the one and only. The cupcakes are not merely flavoured with pistachios, they're full of them. Inside and out. That's why their so precious. And delicious. And green. Well, greenish.

 Err...you don't have a problem with green cupcakes, right? 

Good Old Fashioned Pistachio Cupcakes

(Makes 12 cupcakes)

1 cup whole unsalted pistachios + 1/4 cup slivered (also unsalted) ones for garnish

11/4 cup Castor sugar

1 tsp salt

113g unsalted butter, softened

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

1 cup all purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line your cupcake tray with liners. 

Grind the whole pistachios, sugar and salt till they resemble fine breadcrumbs. 

Add the butter, vanilla and eggs and mix till smooth. 

Stir in the flour. 

Divide the batter into the cupcake cups, pour only till the cups are half-filled.

Garnish with the slivered pistachios.

Bake for about 25 mins or till they are firm and start to pull away from the liners.

Remove from the oven and let them cool. 

Resist the temptation to ice these babies because really, they taste better au natural.