Pomme de Jour - Pistachio Torte

To make this Pistachio Torte you will need :

280g shelled pistachios
120g of unsalted butter
250g of white sugar
4 eggs
A handful of crystallised violets

Preheat the oven to 150ºC (300ºF) gas mark 2.
Grind the pistachios until fine, reserve a tablespoon of the nuts to decorate the torte later.
Blend the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the pistachio nuts to the mixture and stir well.
Separate the eggs and add the yolks to the pistachio mixture. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and  add a small amount to the nut mixture and mix gently. Continue adding the whites a little at a time, gently folding them in. Put the mixture into a greased baking tin and place in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes. Once cooled decorate with a simple topping of white icing with crystallised violets, delicious !