Pistachio Cream Fruit Tart
Summer is here and the season is awash in the vibrant colors of her bounty. Celebrate the bright burst of sweet and juicy berries with this flaky and decadent Pistachio Cream Fruit Tart. Festive enough for any holiday barbecue yet elegant enough for a special occasion, this colorful fruit tart is a feast for the sense.
If you’re looking for the perfect dessert to serve after your Smoked Pulled Pork, this is it. The brilliant rainbow of ripe berries is showstopping and celebratory. The delicate crust, luscious pistachio pastry cream, and balance of sweet and tart fruit will be an instant love at first bite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Make Ahead – Both the pastry cream and the tart shell can be made a day or two in advance. When you’re ready to assemble, all you have to do is fill the crust with the pistachio pastry cream and arrange your fresh berries!
- Customizable – The pistachio tart with the pastry cream is a great canvas to add your favorite seasonal fruit. Have fun customizing it to what you love and also what looks good at the farmer’s market or grocery store.
- Texture – The pistachio crust is butter, delicate, and flaky and the pastry cream is silky smooth, creamy and dreamy! It’s the perfect balance of textures that is a full sensory experience.
Ingredients
Pistachio Cream Fruit Tart gets a double dose of buttery pistachio flavor in both the crust and the pastry cream. The combination of fresh, cool, and juicy fruit combined with the slightly savory kiss of pistachio is a beautiful pairing. This fruit tart recipe combines baking staples like eggs, cornstarch, and sugar with just the right accents to transform this into an Instagram worthy dessert.
- Milk
- Eggs – You will need both whole eggs and egg yolks for the pastry cream. They add richness and also give it a silky, luscious texture.
- Sugar
- Vanilla Paste – You can use either vanilla paste or a whole vanilla bean in this recipe. This will infuse the pastry cream with that beautiful sweet and floral flavor of pure vanilla and give it the delicious flecks.
- Salt
- Cornstarch – Helps thicken and stabilize the pastry cream.
- Pistachio Butter – This infuses the delicate slightly savory yet sweet flavor of grassy pistachios into every bite. Made with just finely ground pistachios and oil to give it its texture, it easily mixes into the pastry cream.
- Flour – You can use either all purpose flour or a gluten free 1 to 1 flour for this recipe.
- Pistachio Flour – Adds both texture and flavor into the pastry shell. Made with finely ground pistachios, it’s naturally gluten free and also low carb.
- Water – You want your water to be icy cold when adding it to your pastry dough. This will allow it to come together without melting the butter.
- Berries – Use your favorite combination and also what looks good.
How to Make a Pistachio Cream Fruit Tart
This pastry cream fruit tart recipe can be broken down into three simple steps, making the pastry cream, making your pastry shell recipe, and then assembling your berry fruit tart. You will wow your friends and family with this elegant dish. And no judgement if you dive into the pastry cream with a spoon!
Time needed: 1 hour and 30 minutes
A buttery and flaky pistachio pastry shell is filled with lusciously creamy pistachio pastry cream for the ultimate bed for summer ripe berries.
- Boil
Add the milk and vanilla to a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Once the milk has come to a boil reduce the heat to low.
- Eggs
Add the eggs, yolks, sugar, pistachio butter, salt, and cornstarch to a bowl and mix to combine.
- Temper
Add a ladleful of the hot milk to the egg mixture while continually whisking. Add another ladleful and keep whisking. This is called tempering.
- Thicken
Add the tempered egg mixture into the warm milk and keep stirring. Continue to stir until it fully thickens. It will coat the back of a spoon and hold its shape when you drag your finger down the center.
- Cool
Pour the pastry cream into a bowl and tightly cover it with plastic wrap. Let it cool completely in the refrigerator.
- In Crust We Trust
Add all of the ingredients for the pastry crust to a blender or food processor. Pulse until sandy and well combined. It should be almost light and airy. Wrap the pastry dough into plastic wrap and let it chill in the freezer for 10-20 minutes so the butter can harden up. Once chilled roll out your pastry dough. Carefully place it into 9″ tart pan and press down. Cut off the excess. Allow it to bake in a 400-degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely.
- Assemble
Pipe the chilled pastry cream into the crust. Top with fresh berries and enjoy!
How to Make This Recipe Dairy Free
The crust and pastry cream for this fruit tart can be made completely dairy free. Use plant based butter and a milk such as oat milk. Make sure that it is an unflavored and unsweetened dairy free milk. The measurements will be the same.
How to Make This Recipe Gluten Free
The pastry cream for this fruit tart recipe is naturally gluten free. However, the pastry dough recipe can easily be made gluten free. Use a 1 to 1 baking flour such as Bob’s Red Mill. The measurements will be the same.
How to Store Pastry Cream
Once your pastry cream has cooled either cover your bowl tightly with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container. Keep it refrigerated and it will last for up to a week. You also want to keep it refrigerated once added to the pastry shell. This is a great filling for pies, just to serve with fruit, to fill eclairs, and also cream puffs.
How to Store Pastry Crust
Making homemade pastry dough is not only easy when you make the dough in the food processor, but it’s also the perfect make ahead. If you don’t plan on making your dough right away, you can tightly wrap it in plastic wrap. Keep it refrigerated and it will last for up to a week. It will be good and chilled when you do go to roll it out.
Once you have baked your pastry crust you will want to store your crust in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Make sure that it’s fully cool first. It will last for up to five days.
Top Tips for Pistachio Cream Fruit Tart
- When you go to wrap up your pastry cream, make sure the plastic wrap touches the pastry cream so it doesn’t form a skin.
- Once you have assembled your berry tart, you will want to eat it within three days. The berries will make the pastry cream and crust begin to soften.
- If you feel like your pastry cream slightly curdled, press it through a fine mesh strainer.
- Don’t skip the step of tempering your eggs.
- You want your butter cold when making your pastry crust. You can place it in the freezer for 10-20 minutes prior to blending your crust. The cold butter is what creates the flaky texture.
Pistachio Cream Fruit Tart
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Blender/food processor
- 1 9" tart pan
Ingredients
Pistachio Pastry Cream
- 2 cups milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste can also use a whole vanilla bean
- pinch of salt
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup pistachio butter
Pastry Dough
- 2 cups 1.1 GF flour
- 3/4 cup pistachio flour
- 18 tbsp butter, cold
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup ice cold water
Pistachio Cream Fruit Tart
- 2 cups fresh berries
Instructions
Pistachio Pastry Cream
- Add the milk and vanilla to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to low.
- In a separate bowl add the egg, egg yolks, sugar, pistachio butter, salt, and cornstarch. Mix to fully combine.
- Add a ladleful of the warm milk to the egg mixture while continuously whisking. Add another ladleful and continue to whisk to temper the eggs.
- Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan while continually stirring. Keep stirring until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let refrigerate until completely cool.
- This makes enough for 2 tarts.
Pastry Dough
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor or blender. Blend until combined. It will be light and almost airy.
- Wrap the pastry dough tightly in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 10-20 minutes.
- Roll out your pastry dough.
- Gently place it into a 9" tart pan. Cut off the excess.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let cool completely.
- This will make 2.
Pistachio Cream Fruit Tart
- Pipe the pastry cream into the cooled pastry shell.
- Top with berries.
- Enjoy!