Pistachio Tart

  • 1 hour 20 mins (plus 2 hours rest)

  • Medium difficulty

  • 8 serves

PISTACHIO TART

Ingredients for the shortcrust pastry:

300g PLAIN FLOUR (=10,58oz=2½ cup)

150g unsalted BUTTER (=5,20oz=1¼ cup)

60g SUGAR (=2,12oz=⅓ cup)

60g CANE SUGAR (=2,12oz=⅓ cup)

3 EGG YOLKS

Ingredients for the filling:

200g unsalted PISTACHIOS without shell (=6,35oz=1 ½ cup)

4 EGG YOLKS

5 EGG WHITES

120g SUGAR (=4,23oz=⅔ cup)

100g FRESH CREAM (=3,53oz=⅓ cup)

1 LEMON (zest + 1 tsp juice)

2 tsp RUM LIQUOR (=6g=0,21oz)

Method:

Prepare shortcrust pastry, sifting flour and making a hole in the middle. Add both sugar types and softened at room temperature butter. Divide egg yolks from egg whites (keep one egg white separated as you will need it for the filling) and pour egg yolks in the hole.

Mix with a fork starting from the middle (so to incorporate yolks and butter to flour), then knead everything with the hands. It would be even better to proceed with a kneading tool as shortcrust pastry doesn’t have to be warmed up (and thus worked) too much.

Once homogeneous, wrap with cling film and store in the fridge for about 2 hours.

Prepare a Ø30 cm baking tray greasing it with butter and flouring it (or using a cooking spray). You can also proceed with baking paper: the best option would be to cut a round piece of baking paper for the bottom and a stripe for the sides.

Once ready, take the shortcrust pastry out of the fridge and stick it to the tray piece by piece (it is almost impossible to roll this shortcrust pastry with a rolling pin, you need to use your hands and a lot of patience!). Shape the sides with a fork, then use the fork to perforate the bottom of the tart.

Prepare the filling, separating egg yolks from egg whites. Beat egg yolks with sugar until you get to a creamy result. Roughly grind pistachios, then add them to the mixture together with rum liquor and fresh cream. Grate lemon zest and add it as well.

Whip egg whites with lemon juice, then add them to the mixture little by little, mixing gently from bottom to top in order to avoid collapsing.

Pour the mixture on the shortcrust pastry and bake in preheated fan assisted oven at 180°C (356°F) for 45 minutes.

Cooking tips:

  • you can opt for a smaller Ø baking tray using part of the shortcrust pastry to top the pie (when I proceed in this way I use a potato ricer as it is too difficult to roll this pasta);
  • you can decrease the pistachio amounts (no less than 100g=3,53oz=¾cups), partly substituting pistachios with hazelnuts or almonds;
  • you can sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy this lovely pistachio tart!