Almond Cake

When is a tart not a tart? No pastry required but cooked in a loose bottomed tart tin?  This easy and scrumptious tart from Belinda Jeffrey's will become a regular in your repertoire.  A good friend gave me a copy of Belinda Jeffries "Tried and True Recipes" and I made the tart three times in one week!  We did have a couple of sweet tooth guests.

Ingredients

50 g plain flour
200 g almond meal
190 g castor sugar
7 egg yolks
3/4 teaspoon almond essence
11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
220 g unsalted butter cut into chunks

Method

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C.
Grease a 24cm x 3cm loose based tart tin and line with buttered baking paper.
Whiz together in a food processor flour, almond meal and sugar until mixed.
Whisk 6 of the egg yolks in a small bowl, add almond essence and vanilla.
Now with the processor running add the beaten egg mixture into the flour mixture in a continuous stream, once it starts to form a paste stop processing.
Add the butter and whiz the mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides when needed, until butter is fully incorporated and the batter looks thick and creamy.
Scrape batter into prepared tin and spread as evenly as possible, levelling the top with a long palette knife.
Put in the fridge for 5-10 minutes until top is firm, remove and then brush on remaining beaten egg yolk.  Place back into the refrigerator for 5 more minutes until egg yolk sets a little. Take out and decorate the top by using a fork to mark long squiggles all over.
Place tin on a pizza or flat tray (to catch any leaks) in oven.
Bake for 12 minutes, then turn heat down to 160 degrees C.
Cook for another 25-30 minutes, keep an eye out, if top is browning to much, cover loosely with foil.
It is cooked when it is slightly puffed and just set in the middle when you press lightly.

Leave tart to cool and settle for approximately one hour. Dust with icing sugar and serve at room temperature with cream or ice cream. The tart can be stored for up to 5 days in the fridge, just bring back to room temperature before serving.

Mmmmmmm.....

Mama Marmalade