Pistachio Custard Tart

Every time I make custard, I think of my dad. Custard was his absolute favorite dessert, and believe me, he LOVED all kinds of sweets too. He would also ask me “Jeanne Dear, can you make me some custard?” 

I made custard to go inside a pistachio crust, then I topped it with whipped cream and pomegranate seeds. This was another dish I made for our Ornament Exchange and potluck party.

For my crust, I made my regular pate sucre (a sugar crust) with pistachios mixed in with the dough.

The Pistachio Pate Sucre

1 1/2 cups flour

6 TBSP cold butter, cubed

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup pisatachios

2 TBSP canola oil

5-6 TBSP heavy whipping cream

Put the flour, cold butter, salt, powdered sugar and pistachios into the food processor and process until they are ground into a coarse sand like consistency. Then add the cream and canola oil and process again until everything is incorporated.

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 180*C.

Firmly press and spread the dough into a 9 inch fluted tart pan to fill it completely. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until it is golden brown.

Allow the crust to cool completely before filling it with the custard.

The Custard

My custard recipe is a classic from my favorite pastry chef, Master Pastry Chef, Rudy Rosier. I loved working with him so much. He was one of my favorite chef instructors. This is a tried and true recipe, that is the absolute best custard I have ever tried, and the only one I ever use. Every time I make it, I get rave reviews.

2 sticks butter

4 eggs

3 cups sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

6 cups milk

4 TBSP cornstarch

Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and grease with butter.

In a large pot, combine the milk, sugar, salt, vanilla and butter together and scald.

In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and cornstarch together and beat until smooth and creamy.

Once the milk mixture is ready, add about 1-2 cups of the eggs mixture, whisking in constantly. This is to temper the mixture and not scramble the eggs. Once this is fully incorporated, remove from the heat, add the rest of the egg mixture to the pot, still whisking rapidly until it thickens. Then pour into the prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool for a bit before placing in the refrigerator.

Refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours before using to allow it to set. Then fill the tart pan with as much custard as it will hold. Save the rest for whatever you want to use it for, or just eat it on its own later. 

Add the whipped cream and sprinkle generously with pomegranate seeds. I also added some fresh mint leaves to make it more festive for the season. My crust broke a little, so I did my best to repair it without it being too noticeable.  No one said anything, so I think my secret was safe. 

The tart completely disappeared, and now the rest of the custard is all gone too. Both were a big hit. 

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukkah and Happy Holidays. ’Til next time.