Pistachio and Chocolate Tart

The day that my bag of shelled pistachios met a pile of bittersweet chocolate was a very good one.  I was looking for a dessert to cap off a spring dinner out on the deck, and this pistachio and chocolate tart answered my call.

As I was brainstorming what to prepare, I remembered a recipe for a “Coconut Tart with Chocolate Smear” that Mark Bittman had published in The Food Matters Cookbook.  This tart’s crust is made from coconut and its smear of chocolate has a coconut milk base.  Bittman describes it as a “Mounds bar…in the form of a great big cookie.” It’s gluten- and dairy-free, but tastes very decadent. I knew this coconut tart was fantastic, having made it a couple of times, but I didn’t have any coconut in the house. However, I did have shelled pistachios, which Bittman suggests substituting for the shredded coconut in an end note.

The crust for this tart comes together quickly with the help of a food processor.

After grinding the pistachios into crumb sized pieces, I transferred the mixture to a bowl to thoroughly distribute the sugar and salt throughout them.  Next the egg whites, mixed with vanilla extract, helped to bind the nuts together so that they could go into a tart pan. I used a medium sized spoon to press the mixture into the shape of the crust.

While the crust baked, the kitchen filled with a heavenly scent of toasting nuts and sweet vanilla.  Meanwhile, I put together the filling, which simply combines coconut milk, egg yolks, and bittersweet chocolate.

I did have to transfer the coconut milk from its can to a glass measuring cup and warm it for two 15-second intervals in the microwave so that the solids would melt.  After each interval, I stirred the milk with a fork up to the point that it became a smooth liquid.  Once the filling ingredients were combined in a saucepan, I kept the mixture over a low flame and stirred it constantly until the chocolate had melted.  Bittman warns to avoid letting the filling come to a boil, as that will cause the ingredients to separate.

The warm filling pours into the just-baked tart shell and will become more firm as it cools.

I left the tart to cool for about an hour at room temperature and then refrigerated it in its pan for about two hours.  That helped with removing the tart from the pan.

As our al fresco dinner wound down, we savored slices of this tart.  Our forks cut through the coconut-rich chocolate filling to the nutty, slightly sweet crust. While the sun sank in the sky, we took our last bites, thankful for the pistachio farmers, the coconut growers, the chocolate harvesters, and each other.

Pistachio and Chocolate Tart

Sunnyside Cook

Dawn Dobie

A rich dark chocolate filling sits atop a crunchy pistachio crust.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups shelled unsalted pistachios
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs --separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate roughly chopped
• 1 cup coconut milk regular or light
• 1/4 cup shelled unsalted pistachios for garnish (optional)
• fresh raspberries or sliced strawberries for garnish (optional)

Instructions

 

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Place pistachio nutmeats in bowl of food processor. Using on/off turns, pulse the pistachios until they are crumb size. Do not overprocess, or you will have a nut butter.
• Transfer the ground nuts to a medium bowl and add the sugar and salt. Stir well with a fork to combine. Add the vanilla to the egg whites and mix together. Pour the egg mixture over the nuts and distribute evenly, continuing to use a fork.
• Transfer the wet nut mixture to a 9-inch tart pan. Press the nut mixture with a fork to spread it into a bottom crust and edges and come about halfway up the sides of the pan.
• Bake until the crust is toasted lightly and is firm, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the coconut milk, egg yolks, and chopped chocolate in a medium saucepan. Place over a low heat and stir constantly until the chocolate has melted. It will be steaming, but do not allow it to boil, as the mixture may separate.
• Pour the chocolate mixture into the warm crust.
• Let the tart stand at room temperature so that it will become firm. Cover the tart and refrigerate it for a couple of hours to increase the firmness.
• Use a small sharp knife to loosen the crust from the sides of the tart pan.
• Cut into wedges, garnish with additional pistachio nuts or berries, if desired, and serve.

Notes

The pistachio tart is best served the same day it is made.
If you want to do the coconut crust version, two cups of shredded, unsweetened coconut can be substituted for the pistachios. (Just skip the food processor part and mix the coconut with the other crust ingredients before putting in tart pan.) The coconut tart can be made a day ahead of time, covered and refrigerated.

Adapted from Mark Bittman from The Food Matters Cookbook