When I was asked to be the guest chef for a meal honoring Sr. Alvarez del
Manzano, the mayor of Madrid, at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, the menu
included this classic Spanish tart. It is so rich and moist, it needs no more
garnish than a little natillas [cr
me anglais] and a dusting of powdered
sugar.
Serves 8.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 10-inch pie plate.
In a blender, blend the sugar and lemon zest until they are well mixed. Add the almonds, and blend again until the almonds are ground fine. Add the eggs, egg yolks, and butter, and blend until all the contents are well mixed. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Scrape the batter into the pan, and smooth the top. Bake the tart on the center rack of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean but the tart is still moist. Let it cool on a wire rack.
Spoon Sweet Basque Cream onto each plate, and set a tart wedge on top. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, and serve.
Note: Almonds, easy to find in any supermarket, are most commonly sold raw or blanched. Buy raw almonds, if possible. Because you will be grinding the nuts, it doesn’t matter whether they’re whole or sliced when you buy them.
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