Name: Pistachio and orange blossom mirlitons
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 24
Ingredients: 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

Pistachio and orange blossom mirlitons

Australian Gourmet Traveller French dessert recipe for pistachio and orange blossom mirlitons.

Serves 24

Prep

40M

Cook

25M

Total

1H 5M

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.

Ingredients

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

Method

Main

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.