A summery tart filled with a layer of crushed pistachios topped with fresh juicy and sweet mirabelle plums. These Mirabelle and Pistachio Tarts are perfect as an afternoon treat or as an elegant dessert.
Making the Tarts
This tart is a perfect mini treat made from a sweet pastry dough which I based from the Italian pasta frolla. In my dough I like to include a touch of cinnamon, however this is completely optional. On top of the tart base there is a layer of crushed pistachios, which adds an extra crunch and its’ bright colour brings out the golden colour of the mirabelle. Also, who doesn’t like some pistachios in their dessert? The mirabelle plums, before going in the tart, are covered in icing sugar. This helps the fruits extract their juices, which together with a knob of butter on top creates a delicious sticky golden syrup, that covers all the fruits and the nuts.
While cooking these mini tarts, this syrup might ooze out of the tartlet tins, which in reality is good as that means that these little golden fruits are extremely juicy. Just be careful when taking the tins out, and ideally add another tray underneath them to limit any cleaning afterwards. Let them cool so that the syrup sets and you don’t get burned.
What are Mirabelle Plums?
Mirabelle plums are sweet and juicy yellow little plums with a delicate aroma. They’re really popular in the French region of Lorraine, were most of the world’s mirabelle supply is cultivated. In fact, the Lorraine Mirabelle has been recognised by the EU as a high-quality regional product, with a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).
Before moving to Luxembourg, I didn’t know about the existence of this succulent fruit, and to be honest, I don’t know if this fruit was actually available in Malta while growing up there. Nonetheless, since discovering mirabelle, me and my husband have been every year anxiously waiting for August to be able to get a hold of these exquisite fruits.
I actually still remember the first time I’ve seen these fruits. We were on a holiday in the Alsace region, mainly in the small villages around Colmar. We went in August and the streets were filled with shops displaying this fruit in large wicker baskets. I was curious to why, and lucky for me, a very close friend of mine, who is an expert on anything French, enlightened me about these little golden juicy fruits. From then on, my love and appreciation for mirabelle grew.
How to use Mirabelle plums
You can find almost anything made from mirabelle plums, however, they’re mostly transformed into liquors, eau-de-vie, jams and syrups. It is definitely greatly used in the baking of tarts and cakes. This is how I got inspired to create these mini Mirabelle and Pistachio Tarts. They also work well in savoury dishes.
Mirabelle and Pistachio Tart
Ingredients
Tart Base
- 200 g plain flour (1 1/2 cup)
- 50 g butter cold (2 1/2 tbsp)
- 50 g sugar (1/4 cup)
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon optional
Filling
- 400 g mirabelle plum
- 25 g crushed pistachios (1/4 cup) + extra fro decoration
- 20 g icing sugar (2 tbsp)
- 20 g butter (1 tbsp)
Instructions
Preparing the Tart Base
- Start by preparing the tart base dough. Combine together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.
- Add the egg and egg yolk to the dry ingredients mixture and mix well until a dough starts to form.
- Once the eggs are incorporated add the cubed cold butter and knead until a soft dough is formed.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest in the fridge for about an hour.
Making the Tarts
- While the dough is chilling in the fridge, cut the mirabelle fruits lengthways and remove the small pit in the middle. Do this to all the fruit.
- Once all the fruit is halved add them to a bowl together with the icing sugar. Making sure to cover all the pieces with the sugar.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F. Spray the tartlet tins with some baking spray and set aside.
- Divide the chilled dough into 6 equal portions.
- Open each piece of dough into a circle, slightly bigger than the tartlet tin, between two sheets of cooking paper. Do not add any additional flour.* Place the dough over the tartlet tin and gentle press it in. Remove any excess dough from the edges. Poke several fork holes at the bottom.
- Once all the tart bases are done, divide the crushed pistachios between each tin and gently layer it at the bottom. Cover the pistachio layer with the sugared mirabelle halves. Place each half vertically resting on each other. Fill it up completely until no space is left.
- Divide the butter into 6 equal cubes and place at the top of the tart in the middle. Bake the tartlets for about 15-20 minutes at 180°C.
- As soon as you take them out of the oven, sprinkle some crushed pistachios on top and let them rest for a few minutes. These tartlets can be served either slightly warm or cold.
Notes
If you have any questions, feedback or comments on this recipe, please leave a comment below. Please also rate this recipe by double clicking on the stars below. If you did make this recipe, tag @apronandwhisk and hashtag #apronandwhisk, as I’m curious to see what you create!
Don’t forget to subscribe to the mailing list down below so to received the recipe updates straight to your mailbox!
Leave a Reply