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Tortas de alma
Tortas de alma: Teruel's olive-oil pastries filled with sweet pumpkin and almond
In the province of Teruel, especially around Calamocha and the Jiloca valley, tortas de alma are made at the end of autumn when the pumpkins come in: crisp, flaky olive-oil pastry folded over "alma", a sweet filling of pumpkin cooked down with sugar, almond and cinnamon. They are eaten with coffee at the village festivals and given away by the dozen at All Saints and Christmas. Recipes vary from house to house; this one keeps to the simple, widely made version. A common mistake is a runny filling, which leaks and burns on the tray; cook it until it is thick enough to hold a clean line. Chef's tip: make the filling a day ahead and chill it; cold alma is far easier to spoon onto the pastry.
- Total time
- 100 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the alma filling
For the pastry
To finish
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Steam or simmer 1 ¾ lb pumpkin in a little water until very soft, about 15 minutes. Drain well in a sieve for 15 minutes, then mash.
30 minStep 2: Put the mash in a heavy pan with 7 oz caster sugar, 1 cinnamon stick and 1 strip lemon peel. Cook over a low heat, stirring often, for 25 to 30 minutes, until it darkens to deep orange and turns so thick that a spoon drawn across the base leaves a clear path. Remove the cinnamon and peel, stir in 2 ⅛ oz ground almonds and cool completely.
28 minStep 3: For the pastry, mix 14 oz plain flour, 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt. Add ½ cup mild olive oil, 1 egg and ¼ cup orange juice and bring together into a soft, smooth dough that doesn't stick to your hands. Rest for 20 minutes, covered.
5 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line two trays. Roll the dough thinly, about 3 mm, and cut 10 cm circles.
Step 5: Spoon a heaped tablespoon of filling onto one half of each circle, fold over and seal the edge firmly by pressing and twisting it into a rope pattern, or with a fork.
Step 6: Brush with 1 egg, sprinkle with 2 tbsp granulated sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and crisp at the edges.
22 minStep 7: Cool on a rack before eating; the filling is very hot straight from the oven. They keep 5 days in a tin.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 205 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 31 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tortas de alma take?
- About 100 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 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 caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ground almonds?
- Ground cashews, same amount.
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