Pistachio and lemon frangipane tarts

These tarts use pistachio rather than the more common almond. Ground pistachio is denser, richer, and has a flavour that sits well against sharp lemon. The result is rich without being cloying, sharp without being aggressive, and gooey in the middle without being raw.

Makes: 8 tarts   |   Time: ~2 hours active + chilling

The pastry

Ingredients

Method

1. Rub the butter in. Work the cold butter into the flour and salt with your fingertips until the mixture resembles damp sand. Work quickly — warm hands warm butter, warm butter makes greasy pastry.
2. Add sugar and egg. Mix in the icing sugar. Add the egg and bring the dough together until just smooth. Stop the moment it comes together (overworking develops gluten, which makes the pastry tough).
3. First chill. Flatten into a disc, wrap, and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes.
4. Line and chill again. Roll to 2–3mm thick, line your tart shells, then return to the fridge for another 20 minutes. This second chill relaxes the gluten and prevents shrinkage during baking.
5. Blind bake. Preheat oven to 170°C fan / 180°C conventional. Bake with weights for 10–12 minutes, then 4–5 minutes without until pale gold. Cool completely before filling. Warm pastry under cold curd produces a soggy base.

The pistachio frangipane

This version is deliberately softer and less cakey than a standard frangipane. The texture you're after is fudgy and dense, not springy.

Ingredients

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar. Beat together until just smooth and combined — not pale, not fluffy, just smooth. Over-whipping adds air; air expands in the oven and turns your gooey frangipane into a perfectly acceptable but deeply disappointing sponge.
2. Add eggs. Beat in one at a time.
3. Fold in the dry ingredients. Add the ground pistachios, flour, lemon zest, and salt. Fold gently until just combined. The batter should be soft, slightly loose, and spoonable.

The lemon curd layer

Use a thick curd. One level teaspoon per tart, spread thinly and evenly across each cooled pastry base. Bonus points for making your own lemon curd.

Assembly and baking

1. Fill the shells. Spoon frangipane over the curd layer in each shell, filling to just below the rim. It rises slightly during baking.
2. Bake. 165–170°C fan for 14–18 minutes. For shallow shells, check at 13–14 minutes — shallow tarts conduct heat faster and will colour before the centre firms.
3. Know when to stop. You are looking for lightly golden edges and a centre that gives very slightly when pressed gently. No wet wobble, but not solid. If the middle feels fully firm in the oven, they will be overcooked by the time they reach the table.
4. Cool before judging. The tarts continue setting as they cool. Leave on a wire rack. Once cooled, the centre should feel soft-set and slightly fudgy — not spongy, not liquid.

FAQ

Can I use shop-bought pastry?

Sure, but where’s the fun in that?

Can I use almond instead of pistachio?

You can. Standard almond frangipane is a reliable thing that has earned its place. 

My centre came out cakey. What went wrong?

One of three things: you over-whipped the butter and sugar (too much air), you left them in the oven too long, or both. The cakey outcome is a perfectly fine tart, just not the tart you were trying to make.

Can I make these ahead?

The pastry shells can be blind-baked up to two days ahead and stored in an airtight container. The frangipane batter keeps in the fridge for 24 hours. Assemble and bake fresh — the gooey centre sets firmer with time, and reheating only partially reverses that.

Can I freeze them?

Yes, once baked and cooled. The texture shifts slightly toward firmer after freezing which is not ideal, but acceptable. Warm from frozen in a low oven — around 150°C fan for 8–10 minutes — rather than microwaving.

How finely do the pistachios need to be ground?

Finely enough that there are no large pieces, coarsely enough that it's not pistachio paste. A food processor with short pulses gets you there.