In many parts of the country, innovation in pastry and bakery continues to flourish. Based in Northern California, Manresa Bread is a neighborhood bakery founded by Avery Ruzicka, a 2020 James Beard finalist.

There, the latest ingredient to climb the charts are pistachios. According to trend-tracking platform, Tastewise, conversations about pistachios are up by 10% from last year, with interest in pistachios as an ingredient rising by 15%.

One baker leading the charge on this trend is Ruzicka of Manresa Bread, which offers a Pistachio Escargot, a swirl of flaky croissant dough with rich pistachio frangipane and walnuts throughout. After baking Manresa Breads’ Pistachio Escargot is glazed with a decadent honey syrup.

“We love to use pistachios in our frangipane. The flavor of pistachios is nutty, rich, and sweeter than other nuts. I love using it in frangipane because it means that each bite has a lot of pistachio in it so the flavor is strong without using extracts,” Ruzicka, explains.

Basic steps and flow in the production process start with deciding whether to use whole nuts or pistachio flour. Whole nuts can burn easily, she points out, so you have to be careful how you use them and consider baking time and temperature of your final product.

For example, a cookie is a great vehicle for whole pistachios because they cook for a short period of time. If you want to use pistachio flour then think about what you are filling, layering, or mixing with the flour and whether it will amplify the flavor of pistachio, Ruzicka shares.

“We like to use the flour in financiers or frangipane. You don't want to be stingy with a layer of pistachio frangipane in an escargot or a babka.”

All nuts are meaty, “but I think pistachios have a sweetness to their flavor that makes them more delicate but also richer. Don't overcomplicate the flavor profile when using pistachios. Let pistachio be the star.”