More than other types of chocolate, milk chocolate melts in the mouth like butter, with a luscious taste and texture. It partners well with all varieties of nuts. Here, pistachios are mixed into the cookie crust, ground into a paste and spread over the partially baked crust, and sprinkled on top as a garnish. Slicing the tart reveals a “racing stripe” formed by the paste between the dark crust and filling.
Recipe information
Yield
makes one 9-inch tart
Ingredients
For the Crust
For the Filling
Pistachio Paste
Preparation
Step 1
In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, chopped pistachios, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and continue to beat until pale, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add vanilla, then beat in flour mixture just until incorporated and dough begins to come together. Gather dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic, pat into a disk, and refrigerate about 1 hour.
Step 2
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to an 11-inch round, 1/4 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, patching any tears and trimming excess dough flush with rim. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
Step 3
Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake crust until firm, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 300°F.
Step 4
Make the filling: In a small saucepan, heat cream and milk. Pour over chocolate in a small bowl. Let stand 2 minutes. Slowly whisk until smooth. Let cool 10 minutes, then stir in egg until combined. Spread pistachio paste evenly in bottom of crust, pressing firmly with an offset spatula until flat and smooth. Place tart shell on a rimmed baking sheet and pour in chocolate filling. Bake until just set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Sprinkle tart with finely chopped pistachios before serving. Tart can be stored in the refrigerator up to 1 day.
Pistachio Paste
Step 5
In a food processor, purée pistachios, sugar, and salt until mixture begins to clump together. Add oil, and purée until very smooth and pastelike.
