Pistachio, Orange and Cardamom Tart

Recipe taken from Psychologies Magazine (May 2019) and published in Moorish: Vibrant recipes from the Mediterranean.

Use super green Iranian Pistachios for this, not only for their colour but also for their sweet flavour. The cardamom works beautifully alongside the zesty orange. Gran Torres is a brandy liqueur from Spain, great for giving desserts a kick!

Serves : 8-10

Ingredients :
220g plain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
A pinch of salt
10 cardamom pods, seeds removed and ground in a Pestle and Mortar
140g unsalted butter, diced
1 egg yolk
Goat’s milk yogurt, to serve

For the filling:
280g green pistachios (ideally Iranian)
180g blanched almonds
240g caster sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground cardamom seeds (from pod)
125ml fresh orange juice
5 egg yolks
Grated zest of 1 orange
20ml Gran Torres orange liqueur or Grand Marnier

Step One : First, make the pastry. Put the flour, salt and ground cardamom seeds in a food processor and blitz. With the machine running, gradually add the butter and pulse for a few minutes more, until reduced to tiny lumps. Mix in the egg yolk. Tip the mixture into a bowl and knead together to make a dough. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for an hour or so.

Step Two : Roll out the dough on a floured surface and use to line a 24cm round, loose-bottomed tart tin. Prick the pastry with a fork before placing it in the freezer to chill for an hour or so.

Step Three : Preheat the oven to 180oC / Gas Mark 4. Line the tart case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is cooked and has turned golden. Remove the paper and beans, then set aside to cool. Leave the oven on.

Step Four : For the filling, blitz the nuts, sugar and cardamom in a food processor until fine and smooth. With the machine running, slowly add the orange juice to form a paste. Add four of the egg yolks and the orange zest, and blitz again, then add the liqueur.

Step Five : Spread the filling in the tart case. Bake for 15 minutes or until the top has just set. Lightly beat the remaining egg yolk and brush over the surface. Bake for 10 minutes more or until glazed. Leave to cool for at least an hour before serving. Top each piece of tart with a dollop of creamy goat’s milk yogurt.