Monday, February 12, 2018

Cardamom-Pistachio Carrot Tart

A few days ago, I made this:


Cardamom-pistachio frangipane with maple-roasted carrots on top. Kinda weird, right? But it tastes freaking great.

I love the concept of frangipane. Sort of a cross between baked custard and soft cookies, it's traditionally made with almonds, but it can modified with any kind of nut or flavourful grain. It can be the star of a dish, or the supporting act. Usually, it's in shallow tarts as the base for baked fruit. There's often a pastry crust, but I decided to forego that in favour of fewer steps. 

Here's what I mean: Kitchen Vignettes' almond and plum tart. Crustless, buttery, and just as important as the fruit it surrounds. Bojon Gourmet's ridiculously beautiful almond and rhubarb tart, or her walnut and apple galette, which is equally stunning. The frangipane in these desserts is essential, but the fruit is the real focus. I wanted to flip that around and concentrate on the cookie.

Sooo here: pistachios, cardamom, and rainbow carrots. (I used Bojon Gourmet's almond frangipane recipe above, subbing in pistachios for almonds).


Cardamom pods pounded and seeds ground, nuts pulverized, and carrots sliced.


 Carrots get tossed with olive oil, maple syrup, and a bit of salt.


And roasted for 15 minutes at 350.


Carrots in the oven, onto the frangipane. Butter and sugar.


Whisked up,


And about a cup and a half of ground pistachios, plus...


two eggs,



and some flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp ground cardamom.


Bam! Cardamom-pistachio frangipane.


Into a parchment-lined pan, aaaaand maple-roasted carrots go on top.


Just filling in the edges here...


After 30 minutes in the oven at 350, it honestly doesn't look as pretty as I wanted. Next time I think I'll slice the carrots thicker and possibly steam them instead of roasting so they don't curl. 


But damn is cardamom-pistachio frangipane amazing. The spice comes through so much better than in cake recipes I've made, possibly because there's a higher ratio of fat to other ingredients. And the carrots add enough of their own flavour to be noticeable, but they don't steal the show. 


So yeah, if you can't decide between cake or cookies for dessert, this is a good bet. 


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