Pistachio, rose & honey cakes

Evoke flavours of the Middle East with these nutty, syrup-soaked cakes, decorated with edible rose petals. They're a great bite-sized treat to take to a party

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Tip the pistachios into a food processor and blitz to fine crumbs. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Generously butter the holes of a 12-hole muffin tin. If the tin doesn’t have a non-stick surface, line it with paper cases.

Step 2

Weigh 25g of the pistachio crumbs into a small bowl and set aside. Tip the butter, caster sugar, eggs, flour and a pinch of salt into the food processor with the rest of the pistachio crumbs and blitz until smooth and creamy. Divide the mixture evenly between the holes of the tin and bake for 20 mins until golden and springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the middles comes out clean. If any wet batter remains, return the cakes to the oven for 5 mins, then check again. Once cooked, run a knife around each cake to loosen from the tin (if not using paper cases), then leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins. Carefully turn out the cakes and transfer to a wire rack to cool until just warm. Once fully cooled, the cakes will keep in an airtight container for up to two days or frozen for up to two months.

Step 3

Pour the honey and 2 tbsp water into a small pan over a low heat and bubble for a few minutes until you have a loose syrup. Remove from the heat and stir in the rosewater. While the cakes are still warm, brush over the syrup, letting it soak in. Leave to cool completely.

Step 4

Mix the mascarpone with the icing sugar, then spoon a little of this over each cake, swirling it with the back of the spoon. Drizzle with a little extra honey, then scatter over the reserved pistachio crumbs and decorate with rose petals, if you like. Best eaten within a few hours, but will keep chilled for two days.

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