Orange Cardamom Tart With Pistachio Crust (Printable version)
Creamy orange-cardamom filling in a crisp pistachio crust
# List of ingredients:
→ Pistachio Crust
01 - 1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
06 - 1 large egg yolk
07 - 1-2 tablespoons ice water
→ Orange Cardamom Filling
08 - 3 large eggs
09 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
10 - 2 tablespoons orange zest
11 - 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
12 - 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
13 - 1/4 cup heavy cream
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
15 - Pinch of salt
→ Garnish
16 - 1/4 cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
17 - Orange zest strips or candied orange slices
# Directions:
01 - Pulse pistachios in a food processor until finely ground. Add flour, powdered sugar, and salt; pulse to combine. Add cold butter and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Add egg yolk and pulse a few times. Drizzle in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing just until dough begins to clump together.
02 - Press dough evenly into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm.
03 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
04 - Line crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights and bake 8 more minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly.
05 - In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until smooth. Whisk in orange zest, orange juice, cardamom, heavy cream, melted butter, and salt until fully blended.
06 - Pour filling into the slightly cooled crust. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and bake for 20-22 minutes until filling is just set but still slightly wobbly in the center.
07 - Cool tart at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow filling to fully set.
08 - Sprinkle chopped pistachios over the top and decorate with orange zest strips or candied orange slices before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cardamom-orange combination feels sophisticated yet comforting, like dessert that knows exactly what it's doing
- That pistachio crust is a total game changer and somehow easier than working with finicky traditional pastry dough
02 -
- Overbaking the filling will make it grainy and sad, so pull it when it still has that slight wobble in the center
- Room temperature ingredients for the filling mix more smoothly and prevent any potential curdling situations
03 -
- If your crust cracks while pressing it in, just patch it with some of the excess dough and smooth with your fingers
- Room temperature eggs are less likely to curdle when mixed with the juice and cream