Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tart (Printable version)
Buttery pistachio crust filled with silky dark chocolate ganache for an elegant French dessert.
# Ingredient list:
→ Pistachio Crust
01 - 4.2 oz shelled unsalted pistachios
02 - 4.2 oz all-purpose flour
03 - 2 tbsp granulated sugar
04 - 1/4 tsp salt
05 - 3 oz unsalted butter, cold and cubed
06 - 1 large egg yolk
→ Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling
07 - 7 oz dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa), chopped
08 - 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
09 - 1 oz unsalted butter, diced
10 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Decoration
11 - 2 tbsp chopped pistachios
12 - Flaky sea salt, to taste (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Position rack in the center of the oven.
02 - Place shelled pistachios in a food processor and pulse until finely ground, taking care not to over-process into a paste.
03 - Add flour, granulated sugar, and salt to the ground pistachios. Pulse several times until evenly combined.
04 - Add cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
05 - Add the egg yolk and pulse until the dough just begins to come together when pinched between your fingers.
06 - Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable base, ensuring uniform thickness throughout.
07 - Refrigerate the shaped crust for 20 minutes to firm up the butter and prevent shrinking during baking.
08 - Prick the chilled crust several times with a fork to release steam. Bake for 13–15 minutes until lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
09 - Pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan and warm over medium heat until it just begins to simmer around the edges. Do not boil.
10 - Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes to soften.
11 - Add diced butter and vanilla extract to the bowl. Stir gently in small circular motions starting from the center outward until the ganache is smooth, glossy, and emulsified.
12 - Pour the ganache into the fully cooled tart shell, tilting gently to spread evenly. Smooth the surface with an offset spatula.
13 - Refrigerate the tart for at least 3 hours, or until the ganache is firmly set and no longer jiggles when gently shaken.
14 - Sprinkle chopped pistachios and a pinch of flaky sea salt over the set ganache just before serving. Slice into wedges with a sharp knife dipped in hot water.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The pistachio crust alone is worth making this tart, because it shatters in the best way and tastes like something between a shortbread cookie and a luxury chocolate box filling.
- The ganache sets into a dense fudgy layer that contrasts beautifully with the crumbly nutty base, and you only need five ingredients to pull it off.
02 -
- If the ganache looks split or greasy after stirring, do not panic, just whisk in a tablespoon of warm cream and it should come back together in seconds.
- The crust must be completely cool before you pour in the ganache, otherwise the heat will melt the butter in the dough and the whole thing turns into a sad puddle.
03 -
- Use a hot dry knife to slice the tart, wiping the blade clean between each cut, because a warm knife through cold ganache gives you bakery quality edges without any jagged tearing.
- Toast the pistachios for the crust in a dry pan for three to four minutes before grinding them, because that one extra step doubles the nutty flavor and makes the crust taste like you spent twice as long on it.