Italian Almond Tart : Bake-Along #55 (*ﾟｰﾟ)ゞ

when Joyce raved about how delicious this tart was, i knew i had to try baking this… and oh was she right… it is really yummy…. i love the nutty and gritty texture of the tart and the filling is so lovely….

Ingredients (makes one 9-1/2-inch tart, or 8 servings)

1 portion Basic Tart Dough (refer below)
1/2 cup (4oz/125gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 lb (250gm) almond paste, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup (2oz/60gm) sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup (2oz/60gm) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (3-1/2oz/105gm) raspberry, plum, or cherry jam
1/3 cup (1-1/2oz/45gm) sliced (flaked) almonds

Basic Tart Dough
1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp ice water, plus more if needed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups (6-1/2oz/200gm) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (3oz/90gm) sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (4oz/125gm) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch (6-mm) cubes

Almond Paste (recipe adapted from Joyce ~ yields 250g almond paste)
150gm ground almond
90gm sifted powdered sugar
1 to 1-1/2 tablespoon egg white (adding a little at a time as needed to form a dough)
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/8 tsp salt

Directions

– prepare almond paste ~ Mix everything together and knead to a dough. Use as directed or can be frozen
– prepare basic tart ~ using the food processor: In a small bowl, stir together the egg yolk, the 2 tbsp water, and vanilla. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the egg mixture and pulse just until the dough pulls together. If the dough is dry, mix in more water 1 tbsp at a time.Roll out the dough as directions in the recipe above
– for blind baking ~ Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 375F (190C). Remove the pastry shell from the refrigerator or freezer. Line with a sheet of aluminium foil or parchment (baking) paper large enough to overhang the sides, patting the foil into the bottom and up the sides. Cover the bottom of the shell with a generous layer of pie weights or raw-short grain rice on top of the foil. The weights help prevent the pastry from shrinking during baking. For a partially baked pie or tart shell, bake for 20 minutes, then lift an edge of the foil to check the dough. If it looks wet, continue to bake, checking it every 5 minutes, until it is pale gold. The total baking time will be 25-30 minutes

– assemble tart: Roll out the dough disk into a 12-inch (30cm) round. Transfer the dough round to a 9-1/2-inch (24cm) tart pan, preferably with a removable bottom. Trim off any excess dough by gently running a rolling pin across the top of the pan. Press the dough into the sides of the pan so that it extends slightly above the rim. Refrigerate or freeze the tart shell until firm, about 30 minutes
– Meanwhile, place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 375F (190C). Partially blind bake the tart shell as directed below. Transfer the tart shell to a wire rack. Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven, and reduce the oven temperature to 350F (180C)
– In a bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed or a whisk, beat the butter until smooth. Add the almond paste, one piece at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. While continuing to beat, sprinkle in the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the flour
– Spread the jam evenly in the bottom of the partially baked tart shell. Spoon in the almond paste mixture and spread evenly over the jam. Sprinkle the surface evenly with the sliced almonds
– Bake until the filling is golden and the middle is firm, 35-40 minutes. Transfer the tart to a wire rack and let cool completely. If using a tart pan with a removable bottom, let the sides fall away, then slide the tart onto a serving plate. Serve at room temperature

Personal notes:

– i prepared the almond paste and tart dough a day prior to baking
– i made four 9cm tarts
– for almond filling, i reduced sugar to 30g (since there was 90g icing sugar in the almond paste). i found the sweetness to be just right for my family
– i blind baked the tart for 23 mins and brushed it with melted chocolate instead of jam … almond, chocolate .. ヾ(＠＾(∞)＾＠)ノ
– i piped the filling onto the tart (2 layers of rings) and baked it for 35 mins (tenting the circumference of the tart as it was browning quickly)
– i decorated 2 tarts for guests with strawberries and whipped cream (with pistachios)… the “halo” on top of the strawberries are done with melted white chocolate

yummy tart indeed…. you’ve gotta try this ♪♪(o*゜∇゜)o～♪♪

I’m also submitting this post to Bake-Along hosted by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce from Kitchen Flavours and Lena from Her Frozen Wings!

Pollution index: 80 (good)