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Pasta frola
Quince tart
Pasta frola: lattice-topped shortcrust tart with quince or sweet potato paste
Pasta frola came to the River Plate with Italian immigrants (it is a cousin of the crostata), and it is now the tart every Argentine kitchen keeps on the counter for afternoon mate. The crust is short and cakey rather than crisp, scented with lemon zest and vanilla, and the filling is dulce de membrillo melted down into a spreadable jam; dulce de batata is the other classic. Bakeries in Buenos Aires sell it by the square and it keeps for days in a tin, getting better on the second day. The lattice strips should be thin and slightly wider apart than you think, so the dark filling shows through. A common slip is to spread the quince paste straight from the block: it will not spread, it tears the base and it turns leathery in the oven, so loosen it first with a little hot water. Chef's tip: chill the lined tin and the cut strips for 15 minutes before baking, so the lattice keeps its shape instead of slumping into the filling.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 4 ½ oz unsalted buttersoft
- 4 oz caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolkbeaten, for brushing
- 1 tsp lemon zestfinely grated
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the filling
- 1 ⅛ lb quince pastedulce de membrillo, or sweet potato paste
- ¼ cup hot water
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Beat 4 ½ oz unsalted butter and 4 oz caster sugar in a bowl for 2 minutes, until pale and creamy. Beat in 2 eggs one at a time with 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
3 minStep 2: Sift in 10 ½ oz plain flour and 2 tsp baking powder and mix with a spatula just until a soft dough forms. Wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 3: Chop 1 ⅛ lb quince paste, put it in a pan with ¼ cup hot water and mash over a low heat for 5 minutes, until it is a thick, smooth jam. Leave to cool.
5 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Roll two-thirds of the dough to 5 mm thick and line a buttered 24 cm tart tin, pressing it into the sides.
Step 5: Spread the quince jam evenly over the base. Roll out the rest of the dough, cut it into 1 cm strips and lay them over the top in a diagonal lattice, pressing the ends onto the rim.
Step 6: Brush the strips with 1 egg yolk and chill the tart for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 7: Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the lattice is golden and the edge of the crust comes away slightly from the tin. Cool completely in the tin before cutting into squares or wedges.
40 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 64 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pasta frola take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
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