Hello friends,
Today, our Irish friends are celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day, and for the occasion, I wanted to offer you a themed dessert…
Here is my pistachio flan.
Before talking about the recipe, here are some facts about this celebration.
Saint Patrick’s Day is a Christian holiday celebrated on March 17th in honor of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.
Saint Patrick, who evangelized Ireland, is said to have explained the concept of the Holy Trinity to the Irish using a shamrock during a sermon at the Rock of Cashel, making it a symbol of Ireland (the official emblem of the country is the Celtic harp). Legend has it that he also drove all the snakes out of Ireland, symbolizing the conversion of the Irish people from their polytheistic Celtic beliefs, which were likened to Satan and seen as responsible for ignorance of the true God.
Over time, Saint Patrick’s Day has become a civil celebration, symbolizing Irish heritage worldwide. The first recorded celebration in the United States took place in Boston in 1737, and the first official parade was held in New York in 1762.
Although Saint Patrick’s Day is not officially Ireland’s national holiday, it is a public holiday in the country.
In the mid-1990s, the Irish government launched a campaign to associate Saint Patrick’s Day with a festival promoting Irish culture. The St. Patrick’s Festival was created with the goals of:
- Offering a world-class national festival
- Generating excitement and investment in Ireland through innovation and creativity
- Providing an opportunity for people of Irish descent (and those who wish they were Irish) to participate in imaginative and expressive celebrations
- Projecting a modern, professional, and charming image of Ireland internationally
Today, people celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day by wearing green, attending parades, and enjoying Irish food and drinks—especially beer, Irish stouts like Murphy’s, Smithwick’s, or Guinness, Irish whiskey, cider, or Irish coffee. (Source: Wikipedia)
Now, back to our pistachio flan… The recipe is not particularly complicated, but I classified it as “moderate difficulty” since mastering the flan mixture is crucial.
You can find the recipe for the Parisian flan on the blog. I based this pistachio version on that recipe. If you’ve made it before, this will feel familiar.
The flan is made with puff pastry. While you can use store-bought puff pastry, it won’t give you the same height and crispness. But don’t worry—I have the perfect solution: my quick puff pastry! That’s what I used here. You can also try my classic puff pastry or my inverted puff pastry.
Be careful not to overfill your crust—leave 1 to 2 cm of space at the top because the flan will rise while baking. Otherwise, you might get spills (trust me, I’ve been there! ?). If you have extra flan mixture, use it with leftover puff pastry for mini flans.
The flan keeps well for up to 72 hours in the refrigerator—if there’s any left! It’s so delicious!
I decorated my pistachio flan with powdered sugar and unsalted fresh pistachios. It’s optional but adds a nice touch!
Necessary tools:
- A 24 cm mixing bowl
- A spatula
- A rolling pin
- A sharp paring knife
- A saucepan
- A whisk
- A small offset spatula
- A cooling rack
- A 20 cm diameter ring mold (3 to 4 cm high, preferably perforated for even baking)
That’s everything! Ready to make my pistachio flan?
Here’s the recipe, Chef!
Pistachio Flan
( Vote !)
Loading...Ingredients
- Quick Puff Pastry
- 200 g of T45 or T55 flour
- 200 g of very cold butter
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 100 g of very cold water
- Flan Mixture
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 110 g of sugar
- 65 g of cornstarch
- 650 g of milk
- 210 g of heavy cream
- 50 g of pistachio paste
Instructions
Quick Puff Pastry
Place the flour, water, and salt in your mixing bowl.
Mix by hand or with a spatula.
Add the butter cut into cubes and mix a little, leaving visible chunks of butter.
Place the dough on a floured work surface.
Flatten the dough with a rolling pin and shape it into a rectangle of 15 cm by 45 cm.
Fold the right third of the dough over the center, then fold the left third over to form a square.
Turn the dough a quarter turn. Roll it out again into a rectangle of about 15 cm by 45 cm. Fold the right third over the center, then the left third.
Repeat this process twice.
Roll out the puff pastry, line your baking ring, and trim the excess dough with a knife.
Refrigerate.
Flan Mixture
Pour the eggs and yolks into the mixing bowl. Add the sugar and whisk until the mixture turns pale.
Add the cornstarch and mix.
Heat the milk and cream.
Remove from heat as soon as it reaches a boil.
Pour over the egg/sugar/cornstarch mixture.
Transfer back to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously.
Remove from heat as soon as it thickens.
Off the heat, add the pistachio paste and mix well.
Let cool slightly.
Preheat your oven to 180 C / 355 F degrees.
Loosen the mixture with a whisk and pour it over the well-chilled pastry. Smooth the surface with an offset spatula.
Bake for about 40 minutes.
Once baked, let it cool for at least 30 minutes before removing the ring. Then, place your flan on a rack until completely cooled.
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