Grapefruit and Pistachio Tart with Chamomile Whipped Cream

Ingredients

TART SHELLS

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour

• ½ cup confectioner's sugar (also known as powdered sugar)

• ¼ tsp salt

• 10 tbsp unsalted cold butter, cubed

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 2 tbsp ice water

GRAPEFRUIT CURD

• 2 cups grapefruit juice

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 5 tbsp grapefruit zest

• 10 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

• 4 large egg yolks, room temperature

• 4 large eggs, room temperature

• ¼ tsp salt

CHAMOMILE WHIPPED CREAM

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

• 3 chamomile tea bags

• 2 tbsp confectioner's sugar (also known as powdered sugar) or honey

• chopped pistachios, for garnish

Recipe

TART SHELLS

1. Add the flour (1½ cups), confectioner's sugar (½ cup) and salt (¼ tsp) to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine

2. Add the cubed butter (10 tbsp) and pulse until it is in mostly pea-sized pieces. Add the egg yolk, vanilla (1 tsp) and ice water (2 tbsp). Pulse until dough begins to come together

3. Pour out the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap, knead into a disc, and wrap up tightly. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes

4. When the dough is slightly chilled, roll out the dough out until about 1/6-inch thick (slightly thicker than two quarters stacked on top of each other). Use a knife to cut out circle of dough that are about a ½ inch wider than the bottom of your tart pan

5. Press the dough circle into the tart pan and cut off any excess from the top. Use a fork to poke holes in the bottoms of the dough, and place the uncooked tart into the freezer for 30 minutes

6. While in the freezer, preheat the oven to 375F. When chilled remove the tart from the freezer. Press a sheet of foil onto the tart shell, and fill the foil with dry beans, rice, or pie weights. This will keep the dough from puffing up while baking

7. Bake the shell for 15-20 minutes, or until set and slightly golden. Remove the foil and weights and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until golden brown.

8. Transfer baked shell to a cooling rack and let cool completely before filling

GRAPEFRUIT CURD

1. Add the grapefruit juice (2 cups) to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer until reduced by half, then remove from the heat to cool

2. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar (1 cup) and grapefruit zest (5 tbsp). Use your fingers to massage the zest into the sugar. This will release all of the fragrant oils hiding in the grapefruit skin and result in a more flavorful curd

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitting with paddle attachment, or with an electric hand mixer, cream the sugar and zest mixture with the butter (10 tbsp) until fluffy (3-5 minutes). Add the egg yolks (4), eggs (4), and salt (¼ tsp) and mix until combined. The mixture may look slightly curdled; this is okay. Add the cooled, reduced grapefruit juice and mix well

4. Add the mixture to a medium saucepan. Turn heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 10-15 minutes, sometimes longer. Just keep on whisking, it will come together! The curd is ready when it will coat the back of a wooden spoon, and is the thickness of warm pudding

5. Transfer the curd to a bowl and refrigerate until cooled

6. To assemble to tart, add the curd to the cooled tart shell. Place the filled tart shell in a 13x9 inch pan, or similar container, and cover with plastic wrap so that the plastic does NOT touch the top of the tarts. Refrigerate until chilled, preferably overnight.

CHAMOMILE WHIPPED CREAM

1. Add the cream (1 cup) and tea bages (3) to a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer then remove from the heat. Pour into a heat-proof container, tea bags and all, and place in the refrigerator to steep and chill, at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

2. When ready to whip, strain the cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Add the confectioner's sugar (2 tbsp) and beat on high until thick.

3. When ready to serve, pipe or scoop dollops of whipped cream onto the tarts and garnish with chopped pistachios.

NOTES

1. My tart came out pretty sharp, which was lovely, but after initial photos, I think everyone added extra whipped cream to their portions so make sure to have some on the ready!

2. The pictures online show the whipped cream prettier than mine turned out - so I would recommend piping with a star tip. If the whipped cream is a little loose, make sure to whip it a little longer for stiff peaks to maintain the star tip shape.

3. These tarts are best prepared the day before serving so they have plenty of time to chill in the freezer. To save time, make the infused cream the day before as well, and whip just before serving.

4. You can use either fresh-squeezed or store-bought grapefruit juice for this recipe. If going with the latter, avoid juices with added sugar.

Source: Jacquelyn Clark