Strawberry Curd and Cream Cheese Pistachio Tart

Strawberry Curd and Cream Cheese Pistachio Tart

strawberry curd:

• • 1 1/4 cups sliced strawberries

  • 1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 6 egg yolks

  • 1 tablespoon corn starch

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter

pistachio shortbread crust:

• • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, roasted and salted

  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

  • 10 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter

  • 1 egg yolk

cream cheese filling:

• • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold

Strawberry Curd:

(Note: make the curd a day in advance.) In a saucepan, combine the strawberries, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and the lemon juice. Simmer over medium low heat until very juicy; pour into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Pour mixture back into the saucepan, through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Simmer over medium low heat for a few more minutes until reduced to ½ cup. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Fill a saucepan with about 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

In a heat-proof metal mixing bowl (one that can sit on top of the saucepan without touching the water) whisk together the egg yolks, 2/3 cup sugar and corn starch; whisk in the warm strawberry juice. (Note: I normally would not use corn starch in a curd recipe, but only did for this recipe since I planned to use it in a tart, and wanted to be sure it was thick enough. If making the curd just to spread on toast, I would omit the corn starch.)

Place the bowl over the saucepan. Stirring constantly with a silicone whisk or spatula, cook the mixture until thick enough to coat a spoon. (Note that this process can take anywhere from 7-15 minutes, depending on how fast the water is simmering, how close the bowl is to the water, etc. The mixture will not appear as thick and jellied as store-bought citrus curd, but will have the consistency of warm pudding. It will also thicken more when it cools.)

Remove the bowl from the heat, stir in the vanilla and add the slices of butter, one at a time, whisking well after each slice until the butter disappears. Pour into a glass jar and refrigerate until well chilled.

Crust:

In a food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, pistachios and salt. Process until the nuts are finely ground. With the processor running, add the butter, a tablespoon at a time, just until moistened. Add the yolk and pulse a few times to incorporate. The mixture should resemble moist cornmeal.

Spray a 9-inch round tart pan with a removeable bottom with non-stick spray. Pile the dough crumbs into the pan, and spread out to the edge. Firmly press down against the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a piece of foil with non-stick spray and place the foil, greased side down, against the frozen crust, fitting it closely to the crust. Fill the foil with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

Carefully remove the foil and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake crust, uncovered, for an additional 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.

Set pan in the refrigerator to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Filling:

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, and powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in the cream until smooth and fluffy and thick.

To fill the tart, spread one cup of the strawberry curd over the crust, then spread the cream cheese filling over the curd. Dot the cream cheese with the strawberry curd and swirl.

Yields 8-10 servings

Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen