Mint And Black Pepper Loaf With Pistachio Topping

Serves: 5

Aurelia Collier

1 January 1970

Based on User reviews:

44

Spice

52

Sweetness

49

Sourness

41

mins

Prep time (avg)

5.1

Difficulty

Ingredients:

1 cup

Butter

2.666667 cups

Flour (sifted)

Directions:

1

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

2

Butter a 10-inch loaf pan and dust with flour

3

Cream butter with 1 1/3 cups of the flour until light and fluffy

4

Beat in Creme de Menthe and black peppercorns until well-incorporated

5

In a bowl, blend 8 of the egg whites, the salt and the baking powder

6

Beat until the egg whites hold soft peaks

7

Continue beating, adding 1 1/3 cups of sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until the egg whites are very stiff

8

Stir 1/4 of the egg white mixture into the creamed butter-flour mixture, blending thoroughly with a wooden spoon

9

Pour this mixture back over the remaining egg whites

10

Start sprinkling in the remaining 1 1/3 cups of flour while gently folding the butter-flour mixture into the egg whites

11

The less the mixture is manipulated, the lighter the cake will be

12

Pour into prepared pan

13

Bake for 40 minutes

14

While baking, mix together the pistachio nuts, the 2 remaining egg whites and the remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar

15

Remove the loaf from the oven after 30 minutes

16

Spread the pistachio nut mixture over the top

17

If the loaf has cracked at all on top, let the pistachio mixture seep into the cracks

18

If the loaf hasn't cracked, make a few shallow slits on top to let the pistachio mixture seep in

19

Continue baking until a cake tester comes out clean, and the loaf is starting to pull away from the pan (about 20-30 minutes)

20

Turn out on a rack and let cool for one hour

21

The lightness, dryness and low-sweetness of this pound cake is perfect for lightly sweet Champagne