Pistachio Cream Cupcakes with a Mascarpone Icing
(Makes 12 Cupcakes)
3/4 Cups Raw Pistachio (Ground into small piece in the food processor)
1 Cup Flour
¾ Cups Sugar
½ tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
2 Large Eggs – Beaten
½ Cup Vegetable Oil
¾ Cups of Buttermilk
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
½ Cup of Pistachio Cream
For the icing
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Cup Mascarpone
½ Cup Powdered Sugar
2 tsp. Pistachio Cream
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, add the flour, ½ cup of the ground pistachios, sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk together. Add the eggs, the buttermilk, the vanilla and the pistachio cream. Whisk until well combined. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners and spoon the batter into the liners. Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.
For the icing combine the heavy cream, mascarpone, powdered sugar and pistachio cream in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Combine until the icing is thick. Pipe the icing onto the cooled cupcakes and top each with the remainder of the ground pistachios. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.