Nutty, fruity, and chocolaty, this Spumoni Tart takes all the classic flavor profiles of Spumoni ice cream–pistachio, maraschino cherry, and well…chocolate–and turns them into a layered dessert that turns tradition upside down while still being wholly delicious.
It wasn’t summer in the Chicago suburbs (or spring, or fall…) unless there was a quart-sized container of Spumoni in our freezer. Opening the top of the ice cream container to see three distinct colors of ice cream–brown, pink, and green–was always exciting. There’s nothing like getting a little bit of everything in every scoop. Except…I wasn’t necessarily a fan of every flavor. It sort of turned into this thing where I would go for a cup of ice cream and would scoop out as much of the chocolate and the pistachio as I could, leaving the cherry there for my father since he was the only one who usually ever ate that third. I probably ruined many of his highly anticipated after-dinner spumoni moments, but I couldn’t help myself. I was young and very uninterested in what the pink layer with the weird chunks in it had to offer.
Naturally, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to appreciate the fruity layer (although the pistachio will always be my favorite–I’m pretty sure our keeping of Spumoni in the freezer is what spawned my pistachio ice cream, or just pistachio in general, obsession). It adds a brightness of fruit that just complements the pistachio and the chocolate so well.
I knew that I wanted to make a tart inspired by the layers and the flavors of Spumoni. And there seemed no better way than to create something with three simple components, all bursting with flavor, that captured the fruitiness, richness of the chocolate, and the savory, salty, nuttiness of the pistachios.
Each layer is simple, made up of maximum 5 ingredients, and easy to throw together. The shortbread crust is forgiving and once baked through, it provides a crisp, buttery, nutty base for everything else. The date and cherry caramel just needs some time in the food processor with a little bit of warm water until it becomes smooth and spreadable–no cooking required, and the milk chocolate ganache is light, smooth, simple, and absolutely delicious. I played around with the idea of making a maraschino cherry jam at first, but decided against that. As the cherries are already sweet, I didn’t want to add extra processed sugar. The dates bring a natural sweetness that doesn’t go overboard, and instead of a sticky jam, you’re left with a smooth hit of fruitiness that holds it’s own in the tart without getting lost or overpowering the other components.
The whipped ganache is almost mousse-like, which brings a light texture to play along with the crisp shortbread and smooth ‘caramel’. Just as we had a container of Spumoni in the fridge year round, I’d go ahead and say that this Spumoni Tart is a bite that’s perfect for every season!
| Cook Time | 25 minutes |
| Servings |
slices
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- 200 grams salted butter cold and cubed
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 grams all purpose flour
- 100 grams coarsely ground pistachios roasted and salted
- 15 Medjool dates pitted
- 15 maraschino cherries
- warm water as needed
- 1 Tbsp maraschino cherry juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 200 grams milk chocolate chopped finely or chips
- 100 mL heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Ingredients
Pistachio Shortbread Crust
Date & Cherry Caramel
Whipped Milk Chocolate Ganache
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- In the bowl of a stand mixer* fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the cold butter and the granulated sugar on low until the butter begins to soften and they blend into one another. Raise the speed of the mixer to medium-high or high and allow to beat about 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add in 1 tsp of vanilla extract and beat until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and the coarsely ground pistachios. Turn the mixer down to low and add these dry ingredients 1/2 at a time, mixing on low until it begins to combined. Add the second half. Beat on medium for a few seconds until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a flat disc about 1 inch high. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a large baking sheet on the bottom rack. Lightly grease a 9" tart pan and set aside. Remove the chilled shortbread dough from the refrigerator and roll out until about 1/4" thick and until about an inch or an inch and a half larger around the tart pan. Transfer the dough into the tart pan, pressing down carefully to fit it snug into the bottom and sides. If the dough rips a little, don't worry, you can always used your fingers to press it back together or you can take a piece off the edge and press it into place. Using a knife or a rolling pin, trim along the edge of the tart pan. With a fork, dock the bottom of the crust. Chill 15-30 minutes in the freezer until solid.
- Place the chilled tart pan on the preheated baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake 20 minutes. Transfer to the middle rack and continue to bake for an additional 5 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the center is still a little bit soft but baked through. Remove the tart pan from the sheet tray and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Place 15 pitted dates in a large bowl and cover with warm water. Allow to soak for 10 minutes.** Drain the water and transfer the dates to a food processor.
- Add the maraschino cherries and the cherry juice to the food processor. Grind/pulse until the dates and cherries begin to form a thick, chunky paste. Slowly add in warm water a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. You want the caramel to be thick and spreadable, but the chunks should be gone and you should have a much smoother paste than you started with. Add in the salt and pulse until combined.
- Place the milk chocolate pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the heavy cream until it just begins to boil along the edges. Pour the cream over the milk chocolate and give it a small shake to cover evenly. Allow to sit for 1 minute. Beginning at the center, use a rubber spatula to gently stir the ganache until the cream and chocolate mix together into a smooth, silky mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract and allow to cool and thicken either at room temperature or in the fridge.
- Once the ganache is thick enough that you can take a spoonful out and the imprint of the spoon will stay in the chocolate, transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a whisk attachment, whisk on medium for about 1 minute before turning the machine up to high. Allow to whip until the ganache is light and fluffy--it'll double in size and the color will be much lighter.
- Using a rubber or an offset spatula, spread the cherry date caramel evenly along the bottom of the cooled pistachio shortbread crust. Spoon the whipped milk chocolate ganache over the top of the cherry date caramel and use the spatula to spread it around evenly. Chill the tart until firm--about 1 hour--and serve!
- Optional: If you want an extra salty kick or a bit more decoration, drizzle a bit of melted dark chocolate over the top of the tart and sprinkle with flaky salt and chopped roasted and salted pistachios.
* If you don't have a stand mixer, you can always use a hand mixer or your hands to make the shortbread dough
** If your dates are already sticky and moist, you can skip the soaking step and place them right into the food processor.