Sicilian Chocolate and Pistachio Tart
A true Sicilian classic, this rich, decadent chocolate tart makes for the perfect ending to any dinner or to be enjoyed with a cup of freshly brewed coffee or tea. Paired with the most luxurious of nuts, the pistachio crust not only provides flavor and crunch but also contrast with its iconic Sicilian-green hue. However, if you cannot get your hands on pistachios, use almonds! They’d be just as delicious.
This is a decadent tart and needs to be served as soon as it is removed from the fridge. If you cannot get pistachios, you can always substitute them with almonds! When selecting the chocolate for the tart, remember that milk chocolate contains less cocoa than medium to dark chocolate and may result in a more relaxed-set texture.
Sicilian Chocolate and Pistachio Tart
A true Sicilian classic, this rich, decadent chocolate tart makes for the perfect ending to any dinner or to be enjoyed with a cup of freshly brewed coffee or tea. Paired with the most luxurious of nuts, the pistachio crust not only provides flavor and crunch but also contrast with its iconic Sicilian-green hue. This is a decadent tart and needs to be served as soon as it is removed from the fridge. If you cannot get pistachios, you can always substitute them with almonds! When selecting the chocolate for the tart, keep in mind that milk chocolate contains less cocoa than medium to dark chocolate and may result in a more relaxed-set texture.
Ingredients
For the pistachio crust
- 6 digestive biscuits
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp salt If your pistachios are already salted, omit the salt.
- 1 c raw, unsalted pistachios If you only have roasted pistachios, use them! Alternatively, use almonds.
- 100 g butter melted
For the chocolate filling
- 300 g medium dark chocolate roughly chopped
- 1½ c heavy/ double cream
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ¼ c roasted, salted pistachios for garnish, see instructions for roasting
Instructions
For the pistachio crust
- Preheat the oven to 160°C, fan forced, or 180°C, conventional.
- Grease and line a 20 cm springform pan with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, or by pestle and mortar, pulse together the digestive biscuits, sugar, and salt until it represents fine breadcrumbs. Add the cup of pistachios and process until finely chopped. Drizzle in the melted butter and process until the mixture represents damp, green crumbs.
- Using a spoon or your fingers, firmly the crumbs into the prepared springform pan, creating an edge around the side of about 2-3 cm high.
For the chocolate filling
- Roughly chop the chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl.
- In a saucepan, heat the cream and vanilla over medium heat until just simmering around the edges of the pan. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Then, using a whisk, stir the mixture until the chocolate is completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture over the cooled pistachio crust and allow to set for 4-6 hours in the fridge. For a firmer texture, allow setting overnight, if possible.
- To roast the pistachios for garnishing, heat a heavy-based pan over medium to high heat. Add the raw pistachios and continue to toss until slightly golden, browning, and fragrant. This takes no more than 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt, remove from the pan and allow to cool. Chop roughly and sprinkle over the set tart.
- Serve immediately after removing the tart from the fridge.
