Chocolate Cream Pistachio Amaretto Meringue Tart Recipe

Inspired by Daydreamer Desserts try her dessert on her webpage called

Chocolate Truffle Tart. Josie is an advanced gourmet baker.

In memory of my late mom Margaret Ann Fanelli Colenzo, who would have loved the flavors in the tart I made today. Happy Mothers Day Mom~ miss you, wish you were here.... you'll always be with me in my heart and in the kitchen xxxooo

Chocolate Butter Crust

Makes four 2-by-4-inch shells or 1 large tart pan with removable bottom
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons heavy cream, chilled
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup pistachio's shelled save a few for garnish

1 shot of Amaretto
Directions
Place flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt in the bowl mix together with electric heavy duty mixer. Add butter, mixture will resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Add yolks, cream, and vanilla; process until mixture comes together, keep adding cream if too dry, a little at a time.
Turn out dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, and flatten into a disk with the palm of your hand. Wrap well, refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until ready to use, up to 2 days.
Line the bottom of a removable tart pan with pistachio nuts. Unwrap dough, roll the dough out about 1/2 thick on the clear wrap, lift still on the wrap and place on over the nuts, to line the tart pan. With plastic wrap push still over the top, press sides in to make sure all dough is in the fluted edges to the top. Remove plastic wrap. Prick the dough with a fork on the bottom and bake on 350 until tart is done around 25 minutes. I make sure the toothpick is clean in the center before removing from the oven. Cool around 5 minutes, loosen edges if they look stuck with a knife and gently move from the fluted edges then flip onto on board to cool.

Then line a cookie sheet with wax paper and flip it right side up. Pour the Amaretto straight onto the tart, then fill with pudding, add the topping if your doing meringue, you can put that right into the oven to toast the topping. Broil meringue till golden brown. If you are using whipped cream, fill and refrigerate. Variations: Garnish pistachios, almonds, with chocolate truffles chunks, chocolate chips, any favorite candy, toasted coconut, fresh fruit like raspberries or strawberries.


Chocolate Pastry Cream
2-1/4 cups milk
4 egg yolks
2/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted
Preparation:
Boil 2 cups of milk. Beat yolks with sugar and remaining milk. Whisk until smooth. Add cornstarch and flour until combined. Gradually whisk hot milk into egg mixture. Return to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens. Reduce to low and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and melted chocolates. Cover with plastic wrap or wax paper. (Make sure wrap touches surface to prevent a skim from forming.) Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight before adding whipped cream. Makes approximately 3 cups. Note when using meringue: Make sure the filling is hot, even boiling, before pouring it into the pie shell: Immediately spread the meringue over the filling. The hot filling will begin to cook the meringue from the bottom, ensuring even cooking throughout.

Meringue:

3 egg whites from large or jumbo eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
In a chilled clean bowl, beat the egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. With mixer running, add the cream of tartar, then gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form. But don't walk away and overbeat as I did! It will not be smooth and get dry as you see in the picture...don't even answer the phone! That's what happened to me and this is the result too stiff of peaks formed!

Pile on to the top of your pie and seal edges to crust. Bake at 350°F for 12 to ? minutes, or until lightly browned. Watch this closely as it will brown quickly in different ovens.
Tips:
The bowl must be cold I put my bowl and beater in the refrigerator first! The bowl must be immaculately clean!
Sugar fills an important role in meringue. It stabilizes the beaten egg white foam which enables it to sit longer and hold its shape. Sugar pulls the water from the eggs and allows it to set better. When using sugar, your meringue can run the risk of getting a gritty texture so I only use superfine sugar when making meringue because it dissolves faster than table sugar. Use meringue within 5 minutes after beating as they will deflate quickly.

The challenge in making perfect meringue is neither to under or over beat the eggs. Under beating introduces too little air, and the whites will rise inadequately. If over beaten the mixture will separate. Seal your pie to the edges before baking. Its also better to make just before you serve as refrigerating will cause it to seperate from the edges and get runny.