Almond and Orange Tart

I think if I stop and think about one of the things I most miss about Portugal, it has to be the cakes, cookies, tarts etc.



Tarte de Amendoa, or, Almond Tart is one of those that every Portuguese person has either tried or knows about and for the most part, everyone has a version of the recipe at home most of which are usually passed down from family members.



I've had this one for quite a few years but I can't even remember the last time I made it, it's been that long, but I've been craving it for quite a few weeks now and while looking through one of my favorite Portuguese food blogs I noticed a slightly different version that added orange ring and juice to the base.  Wow, I never would have thought of that combo, but truly this came out SO good, my 12 year old said "I never thought that almond and orange would be good together, this is nummily".  Whatever nummily means,  I don't ask anymore, these 12 year olds have weird slang for everything.

BTW this recipe has the measurements in grams etc, I'll try to give you the conversion too, but honestly the best thing is to just buy a measuring cup that shows both :)



Almond and Orange Tart

For the base:
200gr of flour (1.6 cups of flour or 8 tablespoons of flour)
150gr of sugar (2/3 cup)
2 eggs
Rind and juice of one orange
75 gr of butter (1/3)

For the topping:
125 gr of sugar (5/8 cup)
125 gr of sliced almonds (about a cup and a half)
100gr of butter (7 tablespoons)
100 ml of milk (a little less than half a cup)

For the base, mix all the ingredients well, pour into a well greased tart pan, then bake in a 350 oven for 20 to 25 minutes until cooked. Test with a toothpick, don't let it over cook or it will be too dry.



For the topping, mix all the ingredients in a saucepan,



cook over medium heat until it starts thickening and browning.



I usually remove my base from my tart pan, pour the filling onto it and pop it back in the oven so it gets nice and toasty on top.



Let it sit for a few minutes before cutting.



You can sprinkle on some powdered sugar if you wish, I do, I always sprinkle some on. I tell you this tart is not too sweet but it seems to have just the perfect balance and honestly, who knew that orange and almond could be so good.