Orange Cardamom Tart Pistachio Crust (Printable)

Creamy orange-cardamom filling in a crisp pistachio crust, perfect for elegant occasions.

# What You Need:

→ Pistachio Crust

01 - 1 cup (130 g) shelled unsalted pistachios
02 - 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
03 - 1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup (115 g) 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 (150 g) granulated sugar
10 - 2 tablespoons orange zest (from about 2 oranges)
11 - 1/2 cup (120 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
12 - 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
13 - 1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
15 - Pinch of salt

→ Garnish (optional)

16 - 1/4 cup (30 g) shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
17 - Orange zest strips or candied orange slices

# How To Make It:

01 - In a food processor, pulse pistachios 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 the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Chill 20 minutes.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
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 - In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until smooth. Whisk in orange zest, juice, cardamom, heavy cream, melted butter, and salt until fully blended.
05 - Pour filling into the slightly cooled crust. Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 20-22 minutes or until filling is just set but still slightly wobbly in the center.
06 - Cool tart at room temperature, then chill at least 1 hour before serving.
07 - To serve, garnish with chopped pistachios and orange zest or candied orange.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The pistachio crust is naturally gluten free friendly and tastes like nothing else in your baking repertoire
  • Cardamom and orange are one of those flavor pairings that make people pause and ask what exactly they are tasting
  • This tart looks stunning with minimal effort, the kind of dessert that makes you look like a professional pastry chef
02 -
  • Overbaking the filling makes it rubbery and dry, pull it from the oven when the center still jiggles slightly like gelatin
  • Cardamom loses its potency quickly, check the expiration date on your spice and consider buying whole pods to grind fresh
  • The crust must be completely cool before adding the filling, or the eggs will start cooking before the tart hits the oven
03 -
  • Grind your pistachios with a tablespoon of the flour from the recipe to prevent them from turning into pistachio butter
  • Zest your oranges before juicing them, it is much harder to zest a squeezed half
  • If the crust edges start browning too quickly, cover them with a ring of foil for the last 10 minutes of baking

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