The pistachio iris is a twist on Palermo’s famous fried brioche: a soft, breaded bun with a creamy centre, born in 1901. We fill it with Scyavuru Pistachio Cream 25%, frozen into small mounds first so it stays molten inside while the outside turns crisp and golden.

Traditional fillings are ricotta, or ricotta and chocolate; pistachio is a modern favourite. Eat them hot, straight from the pan. Prefer to skip the frying? Try the Baked Hazelnut Cocoa Iris.

Difficulty: Medium
Course: Breakfast / Street food
Time: Prep 20 min · Rest 5 h · Cook 15 min
Made with: Scyavuru Pistachio Cream 25%

Ingredients for pistachio iris

For the dough

  • 500 g flour 00
  • 250 ml milk, lukewarm
  • 1 egg
  • 20 g sugar
  • 4 g dry yeast
  • 40 g butter, softened

For the filling

  • Scyavuru Pistachio Cream 25%, about 1 tsp per iris

For the breading

  • 2 eggs
  • 150 g breadcrumbs
  • Peanut oil, for frying

How to make pistachio iris

  1. 1. Dough Stir the yeast and sugar into the flour. Pour in the warm milk gradually, then add the egg. Knead for 10 minutes or longer, then add the soft butter a little at a time until it’s absorbed.
    Kneading the soft iris dough on a floured wooden board
  2. 2. Long rise Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 4 hours somewhere warm, such as the oven with just the light switched on.
  3. 3. Freeze the filling While you wait, drop teaspoon-sized mounds of Pistachio Cream onto baking paper and freeze them for at least an hour, so they stay creamy in the hot oil.
  4. 4. Portion Knock the dough back gently, cut it into 80 g pieces and shape them into balls. Cover and leave them for another hour.
  5. 5. Fill Press each ball into a flat round, set a frozen mound of cream in the middle, then pinch it closed and roll it smooth again.
    Pinching the dough closed around a frozen mound of pistachio cream
  6. 6. Coat Roll each one through beaten egg, then through breadcrumbs.
    Rolling a filled iris in breadcrumbs before frying
  7. 7. Fry Heat a generous amount of oil to about 170 °C in a deep, narrow pan. Cook two at a time for 6—7 minutes, turning them regularly, then drain on kitchen paper.

Tips

  • Eat them hot, straight from the pan.
  • Once breaded, they can go into the freezer.

Try it with…

Did you know?

  • It takes its name from Pietro Mascagni’s opera Iris, staged at Palermo’s Teatro Massimo in 1901.
  • Pastry chef Antonio Lo Verso is the name most often credited with inventing it; he went on to rename his café “Iris”.
  • Franca Florio, Palermo’s celebrated society figure, mentions the iris in her diary.
  • The iris is on the official list of traditional food products (PAT) of Sicily.

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