Milk Chocolate and Pistachio Striped Tart

 If you haven't noticed by now, I'll let you in on a little secret; tarts are my favorite thing to bake. When many people think of baking they instantly think of cake and cupcakes (and then they go on about their birthday). When I think of baking I think of tarts and tartlettes. I always thought they would be the hardest thing. But, actually...
They really aren't! The thought of making the dough and lifting it into each and every one of those tart tins without it cracking seemed so impossible at the time. Now I have many tips and tricks to making these beauties (scroll down to the *comments section) I'm not afraid anymore. If you want to try your hand at a scrumptious and pretty tart, get your sleeves rolled up and put on an apron because it's baking time! This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart.

Milk Chocolate and Pistachio Striped Tart

Makes one, 14" x 4.5" tart

Pastry

3/4 cup                       a.p flour
1/4 cup                       cocoa
1/3 cup                       shelled pistachios, chopped
1/2 cup                       butter, softened
1/4 cup                       sugar
1/2 tsp                        vanilla

In a small bowl whisk together flour, cocoa and pistachios. In another bowl beat butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add vanilla, then beat in flour mixture until it comes together into one mass. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Once chilled **fleurer your work surface and place down dough, sprinkle on top of dough and on rolling pin too. Roll out until it's 1/4" thick and will fit the size of your tin. Lift into tin and press into the sides, refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely.

Pistachio Paste

1/2 cup                       shelled pistachios
1/4 cup                       sugar
1/4 tsp                        salt
2 tsp                           sunflower oil

In a food processor combine pistachios, sugar and salt until it forms clumps. Add the oil and continue to blend until it's smooth (not liquid). Set aside.

Chocolate Filling

5 oz.                           milk chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup                       heavy cream
1/4 cup                       milk
1 egg, beaten

Place milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan bring milk and cream to a boil. Pour over milk chocolate let sit for 2 minutes. Whisk together until smooth. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Slowly pour in egg, whisking constantly. Using a offset spatula press down the pistachio paste to the bottom of the tart shell. Pour the chocolate filling over top. Scoop off any foam. preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cook tart for 30-35 minutes until set and giggles very slightly. Let tart cool completely in tart tin. Whip some whip cream for topping and sprinkle chopped pistachios on top. Enjoy!

Comments:

*Pastry:
- To lift the dough into the pan I have two easy methods I enjoy using: roll up the dough onto your rolling pin and transfer it, or use a salmon flipper (weird I know) and lift it into the tart shell
**- Fleurer means to dust your work surface in flour ;)

-When making the pistachio paste it doesn't have to be a liquid kind of smooth, it can be grainy, but make sure it doesn't have large lumps and thoroughly it's combined
-Make sure your oven isn't too hot when cooking the chocolate layer, it will bubble and leave weird craters (unless you want your tart to look like the moon, that's fine with me) use a oven thermometer
-It's best to buy your pistachios already blanched I really recommend it! 

This tart is fabulous! The pistachios bled so nicely together with the milk chocolate absolutely none of these layers could be omitted they just harmonize so perfectly!
If you would like to try your hand at some other tarts you could try these: Rose Apple Tart, Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Tart with Toasted Meringue, Lemon Meringue Tart, (or the nontraditional tart) Lemon Blueberry Puff Pastry Tart and Rhubarb Puff Pastry Squares.

Elanne Boake