Instructions:

For cake: position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350. Generously butter 9" springform pan. Line bottom with circle of parchment paper. Butter and flour paper. Line outside of pan securely with foil. Steel Knife: Process 3 T pistachios until powdery, about 45 seconds. Remove from work bowl and set aside. Add chocolate and chop, using 5-6 on/off turns, then process continuously until ground, about 1 minute. Combine chocolate and butter in double boiler and melt over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs until pale yellow and mixture triples in volume, about 8 minutes. Stir pistachio powder and almond extract into chocolate mixture. Add chocolate mixture to eggs and beat 30 seconds on low. Using rubber spatula, finish folding mixture until just blended. Spread batter in prepared pan. Set pan in large baking pan and place in oven. Add enough boiling water to backing pan to come halfway up sides of springform; do not allow water to get inside foil. Bake until tester inserted in center of cake comes out slightly moist, about 55 minutes. Remove from water bath. Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Run thin knife between cake and pan sides to loosen. Cool completely in pan on rack. Refrigerate at least 6 hours. For glaze: Steel Knife: Process 1/4 c pistachios until minced. Remove from work bowl. Melt butter in small saucepan; keep simmering. Coarsely process chocolate using about 6 on/off turns, then process continuously until ground. With machine running, pour hot butter through feed tube and process until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove pan sides from cake; invert cake onto rack. Place piece of waxed paper under rack. Carefully remove springform bottom from cake. Peel off paper. Pour most of warm glaze over top of cake, allowing excess to drip down sides and smooting with long spatula. Transfer reamining glaze to pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe glaze in rosettes decoratively atop cake. Press reserved minced pistachios against sides of cake. Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Wrap and refrigerate. Serve cake at room temperature. From _Bon Appetit_, October 1987.

10-10-93 (09:15)