Plum and Pistachio Hungarian Tart

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A new take on a classic – the deep purple jam contrasts beautifully against the pistachio shortbread

It’s not clear what makes a Hungarian Tart so appealing to me – the combination of jammy and buttery, maybe? Or perhaps it is the fact that this recipe requires virtually no special equipment and all you need is a bowl and your hands. Whatever it is, you all seem to love it too, as it was one of my most popular recipes last year. My original strawberry, lemon and almond Hungarian Tart Recipe can be found here.

I love experimenting with seasonal flavours, and one of my favourite creations to date has to been a plum and pistachio Hungarian Tart. The plums bring a lovely tartness that balances the sweetness of the bake perfectly, while the pistachios add a delicate nuttiness and beautiful pop of colour. It’s a variation that feels just a little more sophisticated than the original, but every bit as comforting. If you’re a fan of fruit-forward desserts, this version is definitely worth a try.

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FOR THE PISTACHIO BASE AND THE CRUMBLE

200g salted butter, melted and cooled slightly
220g cake flour (approx. 2 1/4 cups)
30g cornflour (approx. 1/4 cup)
50g ground pistachios
125g caster sugar (approx. 1/2 cup plus a tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
zest of half a lemon (optional)
40g roughly chopped pistachios

FOR THE JAM LAYER

200g purple plum jam

METHOD

Preheat the oven and prepare the tin: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius. Grease and line the base of a 20cm square baking tin. The jam can cause some sticking, especially along the sides of the tin, so please do not skip this.
Make the base: Place all the ingredients, except the melted butter and roughly chopped pistachios into a large mixing bowl. Pour in the melted butter and cut through the mixture with a butter knife until it comes together. The mixture can be clumpy, but this is fine and is wanted for the crumble.
Set aside the crumble: Remove 140g of the dough and set in the fridge to use as the crumble, later.
Bake the base: Press the base down into the tin. Dock the base with a fork (ie. poke little holes in with a fork) and place in the oven to bake. Bake for 25 minutes, until the base is slightly tan and the edges of the shortbread are turning a golden brown.
Lower the oven temperature: Remove the base once baked and reduce the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Add on the jam: Spread the jam onto the base.
Add on the crumble and bake: Remove the remaining dough from the fridge and sprinkle over the jam. Try not to crumble it too finely as you want some texture. Then throw on the roughly chopped pistachios for additional texture. Bake for 20 minutes until the top begins to turn a very slight brown.
Dust with icing sugar and serve: Let the hungarian tart cool completely before lifting out of the tin. Then dust with a bit of icing sugar, slice into squares and serve.