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Meet Beth

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local milk is a journal devoted to home cookery, travel, family, and slow living—to being present & finding sustenance of every kind. It’s about nesting abroad & finding the exotic in the everyday. Most of all it’s about the perfection of imperfections and seeing the beauty of everyday, mundane life.

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  5. Cardamom + Rose Iced Latte / Japanese Ice Coffee

Insta-Milk

A long time ago in a different life (or at least i A long time ago in a different life (or at least it feels that way) I was riding in a car at night with @whereissionnie to meet up with @ruthielindsey and @1924us for bonfires and general cabin shenanigans outside of Nashville. 

I remember the drive so well. It’s a conversation that always stuck with me. We talked about trauma and crisis. And I don’t know much, but I shared the only thing I know, a thing that has served me well through the natural undulations life is bound to bring.

And that is simply sometimes you have to cling to the mast. You aren’t doing anything but surviving but that’s the most important work of all. Because the storm WILL pass. And you‘ll be left standing.

And when it does you can mend the sails. Untangle the ropes. And get on with the business of sailing.

I’ve learned to give myself permission to do nothing but make it through. To sleep a little too late. To dance in front of the mirror and feel myself even when I look ridiculous. To load and unload the dishwasher and allow that to be a great victory. To dress like a cartoon character in nothing but white t-shirts and denim shorts.  To eat mac & cheese from a box and frozen chicken nuggets sometimes. To not respond to text messages. To flail and get back up over and over. To ask for help. A lot.

And also permission to feel it all. Rage. Grief. Joy. Hope and hopelessness. And sometimes all within the span of a few minutes. 

And most of all, whether navigating calm waters or stormy ones, what matters more than anything is the crew you’re doing it with. Surround yourself with solid people.

People that challenge you with compassion. And humor. People whose strengths buttress your weakness. People that don’t judge you. That believe in you even when you think they’re maniacs for doing so.

I know a disproportionate amount of us have had rough seas this year. Cling to the mast in the storm. Choose your crew wisely. No storm ever lasted forever. But there never was a last storm in the world. Accept that they will come and be prepared.

Pistachio Pound Cake + Lavender Sugar Strawberries from “Sweeter Off the Vine”

Cakes

05.24.2016

Today I have a recipe from Yossy Arefi’s new seasonal baking book “Sweeter Off the Vine” for you: a tender pistachio pound cake topped with lavender sugar macerated strawberries. The book is a celebration of baking with ripe, seasonal fruit from rhubarb to plums, and it’s full of flavor combinations that leave you rushing to the kitchen/kicking yourself for not thinking of them.

I had the pleasure of meeting Yossy on a trip up to NYC a couple of years ago over dinner, but before that, we’d known each other through the good old food blogging community. She gave me tips for shooting film when I was just starting out, and I was a huge fan of her blog, Apt. 2B Baking Co., recipes and photos both. They have an easy-going quality to them. They’re simple and rustic but never precious and never contrived. Just like her book.

When she sent me her cookbook in all it’s finished glory, I couldn’t be more excited about it and for her. It’s full of the sort of combinations I love, little unexpected twists like pistachio in poundcake or pink peppercorns in raspberries that lend a je ne sais quoi to her recipes. Her creativity isn’t for the sake of creativity—the flavors truly work & harmonize. She’s a fabulous photographer and blogger, but I love her most of all because she’s a baker through and through.

Her recipes don’t stop at being beautiful, and her flavor combination isn’t merely poetic sounding: they’re delicious. Simply amazing. This pistachio pound cake is one such recipe. And it’s deceptively simple. I’ve made hundreds of pound cakes. But this one is the best. Truly. It didn’t last more than 24 hours in our house. I can’t wait to make it at retreats and for guests in our home.

Best of all the recipes in her book are arranged by the fruits of each season so it’s a simple matter to find multiple ideas for whatever happens to be turning up at your market. I’m desperate to try the campari + strawberry popsicles too…pure genius. You can grab a copy of her book here. I highly recommend it. While there are a lot of books out there, few are reliable. I haven’t made a bad dish out of this one. And I don’t find myself subtly tweaking things. Which is highly out of character. These are perfect right off the page. Also, check out the gorgeous video trailer they made for the book below. If this recipe and my shameless gushing don’t make you want it, the video will. And keep on scrolling for the recipe at the bottom of the post. Make this cake before strawberries are gone for the year!

Print
pistachio pound cake + strawberries in lavender sugar

This recipe is from Yossy Arefi's cookbook "Sweeter Off the Vine". Make sure you put your dairy out a bit before you intend to bake so everything is room temp and ready to go! Best poundcake I think I've ever made.

Ingredients

    for pistachio cake
  • 1 cup (130g) shelled pistachios
  • 1 1/2 cups (195g) all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (175g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 cup (120mL) whole milk, at room temperature
  • for strawberries
  • 1 1/2 pounds (675g) strawberries
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar, or less if your berries are particularly sweet
  • 1/2 teaspoon organic lavender buds
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped from the pod
  • to serve
  • lightly sweetened whipped cream

Instructions

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 325ºF (165ºC). Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
  2. To make the cake: Grind the pistachios in a food processor just until they resemble flour. Be careful to not grind them into pistachio butter, though that would be delicious. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until combined.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth; then, with the mixer still running, slowly stream in the sugar. Cream the butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Occasionally stop the mixer, and scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts.?
  4. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the batter in 3 additions, mixing until just combined. Finish mixing the batter by hand with a rubber spatula.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake until the cake is golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then remove the cake to a rack to cool completely. To make the strawberries: Combine the sugar, lavender, and vanilla seeds in a mortar, and grind with a pestle until the lavender? is broken up into fine bits and the sugar is fragrant. Alternately, this can be done in a food processor. Hull and slice the strawberries in half if they are small, in quarters if they are larger; combine the sliced strawberries and sugar in a bowl and stir gently. Let the berries macerate for at least 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.
  6. To serve: Slice the cooled cake into thick pieces, and top each slice with a generous spoonful of berries and their juices. Top with whipped cream. Extra cake keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
3.1
https://localmilkblog.com/2016/05/pistachio-pound-cake-lavender-sugar-strawberries-from-sweeter-off-the-vine.html

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tags: baking, cakes, cookbook, fruits, lavender, pistachio, poundcake, spring, strawberry, sweeter off the vine, yossy arefi

28 thoughts on “Pistachio Pound Cake + Lavender Sugar Strawberries from “Sweeter Off the Vine””

  1. Isabelle says:
    May 24, 2016 at 12:54 pm

    Oh wow! That looks super delicious <3
    xx Isabelle

    Reply
  2. Allyson says:
    May 24, 2016 at 1:07 pm

    I just got my hands on Sweeter off the Vine and have the wonderful problem of not knowing what to make first. This looks like a fantastic first attempt.

    Reply
  3. Bryony Angell says:
    May 24, 2016 at 4:10 pm

    What a sweet tribute to your friend, and a compelling recipe. I love hearing about your friendships built through food blogging. I wrote a book review of a fellow blogger’s new release last month, on yet a third blogger’s site as a guest post! I love how our niche communities give round and round (mine is nature writer bloggers).

    Reply
  4. Roxana says:
    May 24, 2016 at 6:48 pm

    I love anything with pistachios! This cake looks wonderful!

    Reply
  5. rachel says:
    May 24, 2016 at 8:25 pm

    beth, I would love to make this cake! Can you please let us know what size pan and how to prepare it? Thanks!

    Reply
    1. beth says:
      May 25, 2016 at 4:01 am

      My mistake! The recipe has been updated, the pan information is the first thing in the instructions. A note, I measured this bundt pan (it’s half the volume of the called for pan) and made two of these. So if using a different pan, just compare it’s volume to the one called for in the recipe and adjust accordingly! : )

      Reply
  6. Laura Mitbrodt says:
    May 25, 2016 at 2:57 am

    Your photos are so amazing, I love the lighting
    xo
    http://www.laurajaneatelier.com

    Reply
  7. Angela - Patisserie Makes Perfect says:
    May 25, 2016 at 4:49 am

    This is amazing – I’ve seen a few recipes from this book in the blogosphere 🙂

    That video is so fantastic, it makes all of the fruit look so appealing and now I know how to easily pit cherries too!

    Your cake is fantastic and I love the shape of the bundt tin. Hope you’re enjoying France.

    Reply
  8. Miranda says:
    May 25, 2016 at 5:59 am

    I have only heard great things about this book, so it is one to go on my wish list, if only to judge by this amazing looking cake!!! I love the idea of pistachio in the cake, I never used it that way, only in meat loaves and meatballs!!
    https://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/

    Reply
  9. Arianna says:
    May 25, 2016 at 6:49 am

    Your picture are so so so amazing! The recipe looks quite easy and with a high impact and, of course, super delicious! Thank you sooo much!

    Aria

    https://pandaonavespa.wordpress.com/welcome/

    Reply
  10. Sune Moolman says:
    May 25, 2016 at 9:03 am

    Absolutely gorgeous!

    Reply
  11. Ella says:
    May 26, 2016 at 4:51 pm

    Hi Beth, you mentioned (on snapchat, I think) that you would post a list of what you packed for your trip. Are you still planning on doing so? If so, it would be an incredibly useful resource for me, since I’m going on a month-long trip to Europe this summer.

    Reply
    1. beth says:
      May 27, 2016 at 3:56 am

      We’re working on it! Hope to get it up early summer. : )

      Reply
  12. Thalia @ butter and brioche says:
    May 26, 2016 at 7:16 pm

    sweeter off the vine is one of my new favourite cookbooks. i haven’t yet made the pistachio pound cake – it’s been bookmarked as a definite must. thanks for the motivation. just love that cake tin as well. Xx

    Reply
  13. Ellie | from scratch, mostly says:
    May 27, 2016 at 2:24 am

    I did not expect for that video to literally get me so hungry at almost midnight. Everything looked so elusively delicious. Unbelievable. And I can’t imagine how great this pistachio combo is! I’m a huge pistachio fan and I should be, since it’s one of my favorite ice cream flavors after all. Beautiful feedback to what looks like a wonderful book, Beth!

    Reply
  14. Stacy says:
    May 27, 2016 at 9:03 am

    I like this pistachio cake with strawberries! Great recipe! I try to cook it!
    Thank you for the inspiration <3

    Sincerely, Stacy from http://www.stacyco.com

    Reply
  15. Abby | Lace & Lilacs says:
    May 27, 2016 at 5:41 pm

    Too gorgeous, Beth. Your photos are beautiful. <3

    Reply
  16. Tarja says:
    May 28, 2016 at 2:05 pm

    Hi Beth! Im just amazed and in love with your photography & styling skills, do you have plans somewhere in the future to have a workshop in Scandinavia?
    With Love,
    Tarja

    Reply
    1. beth says:
      May 28, 2016 at 3:53 pm

      Thank you so much! We are doing one in Sweden this year but sadly it is sold out! Next year we are looking at both Iceland and Norway as potential destinations so if everything goes as plan we should be back in Scandinavia next summer hosting a retreat in June or July. You can join our mailing list at localmilkretreats.com to stay up to date!

      Reply
  17. Pingback: Life lately - cheers Monday! - Don't Tell Anyone
  18. sientatealamesa says:
    June 1, 2016 at 12:57 pm

    I want one piece of that cake. Your photos are great.

    Reply
  19. Akasya says:
    June 1, 2016 at 1:41 pm

    Dear Beth,

    I’m not someone who usually looks at cooking blogs, despite my deep love of baking. However, I keep returning to your website to read more and more of your recipes and adventures. I think it’s because so many of your desserts have that wildflower, woodland element. I just made your honeysuckle cordial as I grew up in near the woods of Pennsylvania and always wanted to preserve that smell somehow, and I’m so excited to use it! I plan to make lavender and rose as well, and keep them in beautiful bottles to use in more recipe…including rose margaritas.

    I also love your travel photos, having lived in Japan for over two years I remember those sights you’ve captured, along with the smells and sounds that come with them. More than anything else, those photos made me miss Japan! I hope you get to visit Turkey someday, as it’s half my heritage and I’ve also lived there a year. I’d love to see what you’d find in Istanbul!

    Thank you for treats & nostalgia,
    Akasya

    Reply
  20. Katharina says:
    June 5, 2016 at 5:32 pm

    I love every tiny detail of your work. Thanks for being such an inspiration!

    Reply
  21. sue obryan says:
    June 6, 2016 at 1:46 pm

    Hi Beth, I’ve followed your blog for a couple of years now and finally took the leap and registered for your Nashville workshop. It’s close enough and affordable enough for me to do and yet still a big commitment for a novice/hobbyist who’s just coming for the sheer excitement and admiration and curiosity. I would love to some day attend a retreat. Congratulations to the little empire you’re building not to mention the little person . . . I just sent my son to college and time flies . . . you are in for the ride of your life, such a joy. I am just wondering, with your distinct voice and your poetic and introspective style of writing, would you ever consider or are you even now in the process of writing a book yourself? I do think it would be so wonderful! Ok, cheers and see you in July!!!

    Reply
  22. David Summerbell says:
    June 8, 2016 at 10:21 am

    The recipe looks pretty easy considering that the cake looks so delicious. Will try this soon enough and I got to get a copy of Yossy’s book. Looks like a gem.

    Reply
  23. Vishakha says:
    June 24, 2016 at 5:24 am

    Thank you soo much! saw this recepie today and made it immediately…kids loved it ….though frankly i am not good at baking …the cake turned out yummy…flavour is just too yum. My cake was nice and soft but crumbly..why did that happen. Also didnt have lavender flowers so replaced it with fresh mint leaves in the strawberries 🙂

    Reply
  24. Sarah says:
    November 3, 2019 at 10:28 am

    What a lovely cake! Do you know where your bundt cake pan is from?

    Reply
    1. beth says:
      November 4, 2019 at 1:03 pm

      It was a vintage find, but antique stores and Etsy are great places to look for similar, interesting vintage bundt pans!

      Reply

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