Cherry and pistachio tart inspired by Ottolenghi’s recipe. The base is shortcrust, the filling is pistachio frangipane made with pistachio paste, and the outcome is pure baking ecstasy.
Tweaks to Ottolenghi
The original Ottolenghi’s recipe was published on New York Times Cooking and I took note of the notes to the recipe – which famously are very noteworthy (that’s it, I’ll stop) and often hilarious as well.
The tart is a success, partly thanks to the tweaks inspired by the comments.
The pastry was said to be too dry and crumbly so I increased the butter content. Grinding raw pistachios into a paste is quite a chore so I used ready-made pistachio paste (available from various online retailers and even M&S).
I replaced potentially soggy raspberries with glace cherries, adjusting the amount of sugar. And I added more flour to the filling, learning from my Bakewell tart testing experience.
And the tart comes out delicious every time. It’s very elegant and not too sweet, a perfect accompaniment to an afternoon cup of coffee.
Shortcrust pastry for tart base
Melting, crumbly and delicious shortcrust pastry recipe is included here so bookmark it for any other sweet pastry requirements. It’s an easy job in a food processor or a standing mixer, but you can easily rub cold butter into the dry mixture with your fingers. It’s an eggless pastry which makes it ‘shorter’: crumblier and butterier in flavour. Just iced water with a drop of vinegar to make it flakier is used to bind the pastry.
It needs to rest in the fridge briefly before it’s rolled out to line a flan or tart dish and blind baked for fifteen to twenty minutes.
Pistachio filling
You can make your own pistachio paste by blitzing raw pistachio kernels in a food processor. You can also buy pistachio paste available from various online suppliers. In either case, add melted butter, lemon juice and zest to it, with a pinch of salt.
It is quite a loose batter that will bake into soft and fluffy filling, a sort of pistachio frangipane.
Beat the eggs to triple their volume (it pays to be patient) with slowly added sugar, like for an airy Genoise sponge, then fold in gently the pistachio paste and only a little flour to hold it together.
Chopped pistachios are folded into the batter which goes into the pre-baked pastry case. You can now drop in the glace cherries and return the tart to the oven for about thirty minutes, until the frangipane is set.
As it cools, the filling will sink a little, but it won’t make it any less delicious. And you can dust it with icing sugar and sprinkle with more chopped pistachios to make it look even prettier.
More tart recipes
Blueberry cornmeal shortbread tart from Alison Roman, slightly tweaked, is the best pie/tart/cobbler for the summer season. No soggy bottom!
Large supersized jam tart with easy shortcrust pastry bottom and lid, and no rolling out involved. Get that jar of your best raspberry jam into action!
Apricot frangipane tart is a delicious summer dessert. Fresh apricots on easy frangipane layer, with a lovely Italian pasta frolla, shortcrust pastry base. The most versatile recipe for a summer tart.
More pistachio dessert recipes
Lime yoghurt pistachio cake with lime and rosewater syrup drizzled all over it: I swear there isn't a better cake made with yoghurt. Or lime. Or pistachios.
Pistachio lemon shortbread bars, with nutty shortcrust base and tangy lemon topping filled with more pistachios. Those New York Times recipe inspired bars or slices are easy to make, easier to eat.
Sicilian pistachio cookies, Italian macarons made with ground pistachios. These are delicious, meltingly soft pistachio cookies made from just three base ingredients.