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📝Useful tips
S
Sergei Martynov

The pastry cream needs to reach a proper boil after the eggs go in — not just thicken, but actually bubble. This is what cooks out the raw cornstarch and gives the cream its clean, set texture. Pastry cream that was pulled off the heat too early will be slightly gluey and taste starchy. Keep stirring and wait for visible bubbles.

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The tart shell can be baked 2 days ahead and stored at room temperature. The pastry cream can be made a day ahead. Fill the tart no more than 4 hours before serving — after that the pastry starts to absorb moisture from the cream and loses its crispness. Add the whipped cream and pistachios at the last moment.

Sweet Dishes

Pistachio Cream Tart

By Sergei Martynov

A buttery shortcrust pastry case filled with pistachio pastry cream and topped with whipped cream, crushed pistachios and a drizzle of pistachio cream. The pastry cream is the main event — dense, sweet and deeply nutty. Bake the shell ahead, fill when cool.

⏱️
55
Minutes
👥
8
Servings
🔥
460
kcal
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IngredientsInstructionsCommentsRelated Recipes

Key Ingredients

plain flourcold butterpistachio creamwhole milk

What you'll need

Ingredients

How to make it

Instructions

  1. 1

    Make the pastry. Rub cold butter into the flour and powdered sugar until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and cold water, mix until the dough just comes together — don't overwork it. Flatten into a disc, wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

  2. 2

    Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thick. Line a 22–24cm tart tin, pressing into the corners. Trim the edges. Prick the base all over with a fork. Refrigerate another 15 minutes.

  3. 3

    Blind bake. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line the tart shell with baking paper and fill with baking weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes, remove the weights, bake another 10–12 minutes until the base is pale gold and dry. Cool completely before filling.

  4. 4

    Make the pistachio pastry cream. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch together in a bowl until pale. Heat the milk in a saucepan until it just simmers. Pour a third of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly — this tempers the eggs. Pour the tempered mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, until the cream thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and pistachio cream. Press cling film directly onto the surface to prevent a skin forming. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

  5. 5

    Fill the tart. Give the chilled pastry cream a good stir to loosen it, then spread it evenly into the tart shell.

  6. 6

    Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar to soft peaks. Spoon or pipe over the pastry cream. Scatter crushed pistachios on top and drizzle with extra pistachio cream. Refrigerate until serving.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you stop the tart shell from shrinking during blind baking?

Pastry shrinks when it's overworked or too warm. Two things help. First: rest the dough in the fridge before and after lining the tin — this relaxes the gluten and reduces shrinkage. Second: line the tin without stretching the dough. If you stretch it to fit, it will pull back during baking. Let the pastry overhang the edges slightly and trim it after baking. Also make sure to prick the base thoroughly — this allows steam to escape and stops the base puffing up.

What is pastry cream and can you make it without eggs?

Pastry cream is a cooked custard thickened with cornstarch — it's what goes inside eclairs, fruit tarts and millefeuille. It's made by cooking egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and milk together until thick and smooth. Without eggs, you can make a cornstarch pudding using milk, sugar and cornstarch only, no yolks — it sets firmer and lacks the richness of egg yolks, but it works as a filling. For a vegan version, plant-based milk and cornstarch give a stable result, though the flavour is noticeably thinner.

Why did the pastry cream come out lumpy?

Lumpy pastry cream has one of two causes. Either the eggs scrambled because the hot milk was added too fast — the fix is to temper: add a small amount of hot milk to the egg mixture first, whisking constantly, before adding the eggs to the pan. Or the cream was stirred too slowly and small bits caught on the bottom of the pan. A silicone spatula that reaches every corner of the pan helps. If the cream is lumpy after cooking, strain it through a fine sieve immediately while it's still hot and fluid — it will smooth out.

What can you use instead of pistachio cream in this tart?

The pistachio cream is stirred into the pastry cream base after cooking, so any smooth, sweet, spreadable flavour paste works. Hazelnut spread produces a Nutella-style tart. Almond paste thinned with a neutral oil gives a frangipane-adjacent flavour. A good quality white chocolate, melted and stirred in, creates a rich vanilla-cream result. The quantity stays the same regardless of the substitute.

How long does pistachio cream tart keep — should it be refrigerated?

Yes, always refrigerated once filled. The pastry cream is a cooked egg and milk product and should not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours. The assembled tart keeps 2 days in the fridge. The pastry shell softens after the first day as it absorbs moisture from the cream, which is why same-day or next-day serving is best. If you need to make it further ahead, store the baked shell and the pastry cream separately and assemble on the day.