Pistachio and Lemon Barfi
A sweet addition to any celebratory dessert spread
Creamy and fudgy, barfi is a perfect treat to share during celebrations of all kinds, such as weddings, Eid and Diwali. And this delicious take on the traditional South Asian sweet is refreshingly simple to make.
Instead of requiring bakers to stand over the stovetop, stirring constantly, this recipe just involves popping a pan in the oven before rolling the baked sweets in chopped pistachios for a little crunch. To finish, they’re topped with a swirl of sweetened mascarpone and a slice of aromatic Bangladeshi lemon (though regular lemon will work in a pinch).
Elora’s Pistachio and Lemon Barfi was part of her Bangladeshi Eid treats and helped earn her the title of Star Baker for Celebration Week in Season 8 of The Great Canadian Baking Show.
Pistachio and Lemon Barfi
By Elora Khanom
Ingredients
Barfi:
- 1 cup (227 g) ricotta cheese
- 1 cup (312 g) pistachio paste
- ½ cup (113 g) mawa
- ½ cup (50 g) milk powder
- ¼ cup (44 g) ghee, melted, plus more for greasing
- 1 can (300 ml) sweetened condensed milk
- Zest and juice of 1 large Bangladeshi or regular lemon
- Green gel food colouring
- 1 cup (120 g) shelled pistachios, finely chopped
Garnish:
- ½ cup (114 g) mascarpone cheese
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Thin slices of Bangladeshi or regular lemon, as desired
- Gold leaf, optional
Preparation
Barfi:
Heat oven to 300 F.
Line a 10-inch-square cake pan with parchment paper so that there’s a couple inches of overhang on two sides. Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of the pan with melted ghee.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the food colouring and pistachios, and stir to combine. Add food colouring and mix until the batter is a uniform shade of pistachio green.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and set aside to cool completely.
Once cooled, lift the barfi out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang, trim any ragged edges and cut into 16 squares. Place the pistachios in a shallow bowl and gently coat each square in the chopped nuts, lightly pressing to adhere.
Garnish:
In a small bowl, combine the mascarpone, icing sugar and vanilla, and stir until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip and pipe a dollop on top of each square.
Garnish with sliced lemon, as desired, and gold leaf if using.
Makes 16 squares
