Orange Cardamom Tart Pistachio Crust (Printer-Friendly)
Creamy orange-cardamom filling in a crisp, nutty pistachio crust. Perfect for elegant dessert occasions.
# What You’ll Need:
→ 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 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 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 - Whisk eggs and sugar until smooth. Add orange zest, juice, cardamom, heavy cream, melted butter, and salt; whisk until fully blended.
05 - Pour filling into slightly cooled crust. Bake at 325°F for 20-22 minutes until filling is just set but still slightly wobbly in center.
06 - Cool tart at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
07 - Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and orange zest or candied orange slices before serving.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- The combination of fragrant cardamom and fresh orange creates this sophisticated flavor profile that feels elegant without being pretentious
- That pistachio crust is nutty, buttery, and holds up beautifully against the silky filling
- It comes together faster than most fancy desserts but tastes like something from a professional bakery
02 -
- Overbaking the filling is the number one mistake I made during testing and it turns that silky texture into something rubbery and sad
- The tart continues cooking as it cools so pulling it out when it still has a slight wobble in the center is exactly right
- Chilling the crust before baking prevents those pesky shrinking edges that ruin the presentation
03 -
- Toasting the pistachios lightly before processing them deepens their nutty flavor considerably
- If you cannot find fresh cardamom pods, the ground spice works perfectly but buy from a store with high turnover