Quince tart

In Argentina, ‘pastafrola’ is signified by a lattice crust and the filling can include dulce de membrillo (quince paste), dulce de batata (sweet potato paste) or dulce de leche. It is considered a classic tart in Argentina.

Credit: Rachel Tolosa Paz

• serves

  8

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  55 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) good-quality quince paste

Pastry

• 175 g (6 oz) unsalted butter
• 145 g (5 oz/⅔ cup) caster (superfine) sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 egg yolk
• 300 g (10½ oz/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 egg, beaten

Chilling time: 30-60 mins

Instructions

1. To make the pastry, place the butter, sugar and egg yolk in a bowl. Beat with electric beaters to make a smooth mixture. Use a wooden spoon to stir through the flour until you have a rough dough. Tip onto a well-floured work surface and form into a flat disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a 20 cm (8 in) flan (tart) tin.

3. Cut the dough into quarters, re-wrap one quarter in plastic wrap and return to the fridge. Gently press the remaining three-quarters of dough back together and roll out on a sheet of lightly floured baking paper to a 25 cm (10 in) circle (this is a buttery, damp dough so it will be fragile to work with). Transfer the dough to the prepared tin, pressing into the base and side. Trim the dough and use the trimmings to cover up any pastry cracks, if necessary.

4. Lay some baking paper or foil over the pastry and fill with baking weights, uncooked rice or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and weights and bake for a further 5 minutes, until the pastry is pale golden and dry to the touch. Set aside.

5. Combine the quince paste and 1 tablespoon water in a saucepan. Stir over low heat for 4–5 minutes, until the paste is soft enough to pour into the tart shell. Pour the paste into the shell and evenly spread using the back of a spoon or a palette knife.

6. Roll the remaining dough on lightly floured baking paper into a large rectangle about 30 cm (12 in) wide. Cut out ten 2-cm (¾ in) wide strips of dough. Lay one strip across the centre of the tart, trim off any excess dough and press it into the edge of the tart. Lay two strips of dough on either side of the centre strip, trimming and pressing the strips into the edges as necessary. Repeat with the remaining dough strips in the opposite direction.

7. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle over a little extra sugar. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the pastry is golden. Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Recipe from The Food of Argentina by Ross Dobson and Rachel Tolosa Paz, Smith Street Books, RRP $44.99. Photography Rachel Tolosa Paz.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.