Orange Cardamom Tart Pistachio Crust (Print version)

Creamy orange-cardamom filling in a crisp pistachio crust for an elegant finish to any meal.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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

# How To Make It:

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. Press dough evenly into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Chill for 20 minutes.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
03 - 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. Cool slightly.
04 - In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until smooth. Whisk in orange zest, juice, cardamom, heavy cream, melted butter, and salt until fully blended.
05 - Pour filling into the slightly cooled crust. Bake at 325°F for 20-22 minutes or until filling is just set but still slightly wobbly in the center.
06 - Cool tart at room temperature, then chill at least 1 hour before serving.
07 - Garnish with chopped pistachios and orange zest or candied orange before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The filling stays impossibly creamy while that pistachio crust adds this gorgeous buttery crunch that people cant quite place but absolutely love
  • It tastes like something from a fancy pastry shop but comes together with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry
02 -
  • The filling will look quite jiggly when you take it out of the oven, but it continues to set as it cools, so please dont make the mistake I did and bake it longer
  • Room temperature ingredients for the filling are non negotiable, because cold eggs can cause the melted butter to seize and create tiny lumps
03 -
  • Zest your oranges before juicing them, because once the fruit is squeezed it becomes nearly impossible to get those fragrant strips of zest without the bitter pith
  • If your crust edges start browning too quickly during blind baking, carefully tent them with foil while the bottom continues to crisp up