Everything tastes better wrapped in Pastry

Almond Tart

Ingredients:

For Sweet Pastry -

• 480g Plain Flour

• 300g Butter , cold and cut inti cubes

• 120g Sugar

• 1 Egg

• Lemon Zest

For Almond Filling -

• 600g Pure Ground Almonds

• 200g Sugar

• 100g Blanched Almonds

• 6 Egg Whites

• 1 Lemon Zest

• 2 Teaspoon Almond Essence

Method :

For Sweet Pastry -

1. Sieve the flour in a large bowl and add the butter and work well until mixture looks like sand and until butter does not show anymore. Make sure butter is not melted but cold and cut inti cubes. If using a mixer to mix use the hook attachment or otherwise you can work the mixture with your hands.

2. In another bowl mix the egg, sugar and lemon zest .

3. Start adding the flour mixture with egg mixture and mix to form the dough. Mix until dough gets together.

4. Form dough into a ball ( do not add any extra flour) and cover well with a slightly wet cloth.

5. Leave the dough to set for an hour or more . You can place in fridge for dough to set better.

For Filling -

1. Place ground almonds, sugar and blanched almonds in a large bowl and mix well.

2. Add egg whites and mix continuously while adding , than add the lemon zest and almond essence.

To Assemble-

1. Preheat oven to 350 F / 180C .

2. Grease a flan plan with a little bit of butter and place pastry on flan ring. Remove extra pastry with a knife.

3. Place the almond mixture on top of pastry and level it with a spatula.

4. Bake for 50min at 180C

5. Let cool and you can add some liquor , blanched almonds or icing sugar