FEATURE RECIPE
Pistachio and orange blossom mirlitons

Pistachio and orange blossom mirlitons

We’ve made these as petits fours, in various shapes and sizes, but they can also be made in a larger size. The recipe makes six 10cm-diameter tarts, but you’ll need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Serves 24

Cooking Time Prep time 40 mins, cook 25 mins (plus chilling, cooling, resting)



90 gm   butter, coarsely chopped
130 gm   pure icing sugar, sieved
70 gm   pistachios, roasted, peeled and cooled
2   oranges, finely grated rind only (reserve juice for candied orange rind)
35 gm   (¼ cup) plain flour
3   eggwhites, lightly beaten
2 tsp   orange blossom water
Orange vanilla pastry
100 gm   butter, softened
100 gm   pure icing sugar, sieved
1   orange, finely grated rind only
1   vanilla bean, scraped seeds only
2   eggs
250 gm   (1 2/3 cups) plain flour
Candied orange rind
Rind of   1 orange, removed with a peeler, thinly sliced
130 gm   caster sugar
3   oranges, juice only
2 tsp   orange blossom water


1 For orange vanilla pastry, beat butter, icing sugar, orange rind and vanilla seeds in an electric mixer until pale and creamy (2-3 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down sides of bowl after each addition. Add flour and a pinch of salt, beat until just combined, then turn onto a lightly floured surface and form into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (1½-2 hours). Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to 2mm thick and use to line 24 petits four-size tartlet tins (some pastry may be left over). Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, for candied orange rind, place rind in a small saucepan of cold water, bring to the boil, drain and repeat twice. Combine sugar, two thirds of the orange juice and 60ml water in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat to dissolve sugar and bring to a simmer. Add blanched orange rind, bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to remove sugar crystals. Cook until rind is translucent (8-10 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in orange blossom water and remaining orange juice and set aside.
3 Preheat oven to 200C. Cook butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until dark nut brown (3-4 minutes), remove from heat and cool completely.
4 Process icing sugar and pistachios in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl, add orange rind and flour and stir to combine. Whisk in eggwhites, then cooled butter and orange blossom water. Spoon into prepared tartlet tins and bake on an oven tray until golden and risen (8-10 minutes). Cool on a wire rack and serve topped with candied orange rind and a little orange syrup.


Drink Suggestion Eaux de vie de Poire William.

RECIPE Emma Knowles PHOTOGRAPHY William Meppem STYLING Emma Knowles DRINK SUGGESTION Max Allen


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