Amalfi Tart

The Amalfi Tart is a dessert that captivates with its freshness and intense lemon flavor, typical of that wonderful area of Campania. The base is a lemon shortcrust pastry, which is then filled with lemon cream and enriched with pine nuts or almonds. Here’s the recipe for preparing an Amalfi Tart.

Ingredients

• For the lemon shortcrust pastry:

  • 300 g of all-purpose flour
  • 150 g of cold butter, cubed
  • 120 g of powdered sugar
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon (preferably from Amalfi)
  • 1 large whole egg and 1 yolk
  • A pinch of salt

• For the lemon cream:

  • 4 eggs
  • 150 g of sugar
  • Juice of 3 large Amalfi lemons
  • Grated zest of 2 lemons
  • 100 g of butter
  • 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
  • 30 g of pine nuts or slivered almonds for decoration

Preparation

1. Start with the shortcrust pastry: In a bowl, combine the flour, powdered sugar, and cold butter, crumbling it with your fingers until you get a crumbly mixture. Add the grated lemon zest, the whole egg and the yolk, and a pinch of salt, then work quickly to form a ball. Wrap it in cling film and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

2. Now to the lemon cream: In a saucepan, whisk together the eggs and sugar, then incorporate the cornstarch, lemon zest, and juice. Cook over medium-low heat, adding the butter in pieces and continue to mix until the cream thickens. Remove from the heat and let cool, covering it with cling film in contact to prevent a skin from forming.

3. Roll out the pastry into an even layer and line a previously buttered and floured tart pan, creating high edges. Prick the bottom with a fork and pour in the lemon cream.

4. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 30-35 minutes, until the shortcrust pastry becomes golden brown. In the last few minutes of baking, distribute the pine nuts or almonds on the surface.

5. Allow to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar and serving.

Curiosity

The Amalfi Tart reflects the pastry tradition of the Amalfi Coast, where lemons are a real local treasure. This variation of the classic Lemon Tart becomes an emblem of this place, ideal to be enjoyed as a dessert or during a refined snack. The final touch of pine nuts or almonds is not just decorative, but adds a pleasant crunchiness to the dessert.