Australian Melba Toast with Pistachios

Votes: 4

Time: 13 hours 5 minutes
Complexity: easily
Quantity: 54 pcs.

Melba toast was invented and named after Australian opera diva Nellie Melba. It's made in a similar way to Italian biscotti, meaning it's baked twice. Bake the rectangular cake with a delicious combination of pistachios and citrus zest, then slice it and bake again. The secret to these toasts is to slice them very thinly, so that after baking they resemble a crisp, crumbly cookie. To make this easier, use frozen cake. The toasts are not overly sweet, but they have a very delicate flavor. A perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Butter, softened, for greasing the pan
1.5 cups flour + extra for dusting the pan
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup of sugar
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
4 large eggs
1 cup whole raw pistachios, shelled

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

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Recipes with similar ingredients: premium flour, sugar, lemon zest, Orange zest, eggs, pistachios

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Position the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 22 x 12 cm loaf pan.
In a bowl, mix flour and salt.

In another medium bowl, rub the zest and sugar together with your fingers until the sugar is fragrant and has a slight citrus flavor. Stir the eggs into the sugar with a wooden spoon. Fold in the flour mixture until you have a smooth, sticky, yet runny dough. Stir in the pistachios. Pour the dough into the prepared pan and lightly smooth the surface with a spatula.
Bake until the cake is lightly browned and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 40-45 minutes. A wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean, and the cake should resemble a small pound cake. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.
Wrap the cake in cling film and place it in the freezer for about 30 minutes until it becomes firm.
Preheat oven to 150°C.
Slice the cooled cake as thinly as possible, about 6 to 8 slices per 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. (To make it easier, score the cake every 1 inch with a serrated knife and use that as a guide.) Arrange the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. (Be careful, as the toast may burn quickly.)
Let them cool overnight or for at least 12 hours on a wire rack until crisp, then serve. Store in an airtight jar or other container.

Note

The cake can be stored tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to a week or frozen for up to a month. It's best to store the toast in an airtight container, away from moist cookies and cakes. Alternatively, freeze it, double-wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 1 month. Defrost it in the plastic wrap.