Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tart (Printable)
Silky dark chocolate ganache in a crunchy homemade pistachio crust. An elegant French dessert.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pistachio Crust
01 - 1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
06 - 1 large egg yolk
→ Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling
07 - 7 ounces dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa), chopped
08 - 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Decoration
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
12 - Flaky sea salt to taste
# Method:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Position rack in center position.
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 egg yolk and pulse until the dough begins to come together in clumps when pressed between your fingers.
06 - Press dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, building the edges slightly above the rim.
07 - Refrigerate the assembled crust for 20 minutes to firm the butter and prevent shrinking during baking.
08 - Prick chilled crust several times with a fork to release steam. Bake 13–15 minutes until lightly golden. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.
09 - Pour heavy cream into a small saucepan and heat over medium until it just begins to simmer around the edges. Do not boil.
10 - Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour hot cream over chocolate and let sit undisturbed for 2 minutes. Add diced butter and vanilla extract.
11 - Stir gently in small circular motions starting from the center outward until ganache is completely smooth, silky, and glossy.
12 - Pour ganache into cooled tart shell, tilting pan to distribute evenly. Smooth surface with an offset spatula.
13 - Refrigerate tart for at least 3 hours or until ganache is firm and set throughout.
14 - Sprinkle chopped pistachios and flaky sea salt over top just before serving. Slice with a sharp knife dipped in hot water for clean edges.
# Insider Tips:
01 -
- The pistachio crust alone is worth making this tart: it crumbles with a buttery, nutty sweetness that puts ordinary pastry to shame.
- The ganache sets into a dense, silky layer that tastes like the inside of an expensive truffle but requires zero tempering skills.
- It looks like it came from a Parisian bakery, yet the entire thing comes together with a food processor and a saucepan.
02 -
- If the ganache looks split or greasy, it usually means the cream was too hot or you stirred too aggressively, so gentle coaxing from the center outward is the safest path.
- The crust is fragile when warm, so resist the urge to move it before it has cooled completely or you will end up with a beautiful but shattered mosaic.
03 -
- Chop the chocolate very finely and uniformly so it melts at the same rate when the hot cream hits it, preventing stubborn lumps.
- Run your knife under hot water and wipe it dry between slices for perfectly clean cuts that show off the glossy filling.