Fromage blanc aux pistaches et miel

Creamy cheese with pistachios and honey

This dessert is delicious, healthy, economical and incredibly quick to prepare. If you can’t find French-style fromage blanc, substitute Greek yogurt.

A quick word about fromage blanc. It’s a smooth, creamy, fresh cheese that is lighter than sour cream and richer than yogurt. In France it comes with different percentages of fat content: 40%, 20% or 0%. I generally go for the 20% variety, which has plenty of flavor but fewer calories than the 40%. The 0% is reserved for dieting weeks, as it’s rather sharp and not necessarily that palatable.

Why this wonderful product is not more widely available elsewhere is a mystery. It lends itself to both savory and sweet dishes and is a familiar breakfast food here in France. Greek yogurt is quite similar in body, texture and flavor, and that is what I would use if unable to find bona fide fromage blanc. The proportions below are for one person.

1 cup (200 g.) fromage blanc or Greek yogurt
10 large unsalted roasted pistachios
2 tsp. honey
1 strawberry (optional)

Stir the fromage blanc or Greek yogurt until it is very smooth. Place in a dessert dish.

Shell the pistachios. Place them on a board and crush them with a rolling pin. Sprinkle on top of the fromage blanc.

Drizzle the honey over the pistachios.

Remove the stem of the strawberry and place on top. Or not, as this dessert is also fabulous without the fruit. Serves 1.