CCAC’s Culinary Arts Program‘s Caitlyn Lowrey crafts a Pistachio Tart that blends classic technique with festive flavor. A buttery, golden crust holds smooth pistachio pastry cream made with vanilla, sweet pistachio spread, and rich egg yolks. Finished with whipped cream and delicate garnishes, this elegant dessert tastes like a snow-dusted holiday treat.
Lowrey made her Holly Jolly Opera Torte as a part of our second annual TABLE Magazine Holiday Bake Off where five professionals and five student pastry chefs went head-to-head in a battle for the most decadent.
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Pistachio Tart
Description
A crumbly crust and smooth pistachio pastry cream.
Ingredients
For the pistachio pastry cream:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 egg (whole)
- 3 egg yolks
- 5 oz sugar
- 1.5 oz cornstarch
- 2 oz butter cubed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz pistachio sweet cream
For the tart dough:
- 12 oz all-purpose flour
- 4 oz sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 oz cold salted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ oz water
Instructions
For the pistachio pastry cream:
- Combine whole milk and 2 ounces of sugar in a pot.
- In a bowl, whisk together whole eggs, egg yolks, sifted corn starch, and remaining sugar.
- Put butter and vanilla in small cup to the side.
Take pot and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, just until it barely begins to boil. Remove the pan from the heat. - Carefully temper 6-8 oz of milk into egg mixture, then turn the remaining milk back on medium-high heat. Once it begins to boil, quickly whisk egg mixture into milk.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until the cream is thick. As soon as thickens to the consistency of pudding, remove from the heat and let cool until 140 degrees.
- Add butter and vanilla, and mix until it becomes a smooth, even consistency.
- Then blend in pistachio cream until no longer streaky. Let cool completely.
For the tart dough:
- Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder in a bowl.
- Add butter and blend until smooth, either by hand or in food processor.
- Add egg, egg yolk, and water. Mix until it forms a smooth ball.
- Form into tart pans and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. Approximately 20 minutes.
- Let cool and unmold.
To assemble:
- Loosen pistachio pastry cream in a mixer, then put into cooled tarts, fill but leave a small space up top. (Around ½ cm.)
- Fold in ½ cup of pastry cream into 2 cups of a basic whipped cream, use to decorate top of tart.
- Add other decorative toppings if you’d like.
Check out more recipes from our Annual Holiday Bake Off!
Recipe by Caitlyn Lowrey
Photography by Laura Petrilla
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