Portuguese Almond Tart | Bolo de Amêndoa
This Portuguese Almond Tart, or Bolo de Amêndoa, is a delicious treat. The sweet, nutty flavor is classic to Portugal. The smell alone is reason to make this tart!
Ingredients
- 1 lb almond flour
- 1¼ cups sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 oz butter cut into ½" cubes
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 egg whites
- ½ tsp lemon juice for the merengue
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lemon, zested
- powdered sugar optional, for topping
- toasted slivered almonds optional, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Mix ¼ cup of sugar, the salt and the almond flour until well combined.
- In a stand mixer, cream together the butter, egg yolks and sugar (reserving 2 tbsp for the merengue) for about 3 minutes, or about 7 minutes if whisking by hand. There should be no chunks of butter visible.
- Set this creamed mixture aside in a separate bowl. Thoroughly clean the bowl of the stand mixer. The egg whites will not develop properly if there is any fat in the bowl.
- Add the egg whites to the bowl of the stand mixer. Turn it on to a medium speed. Slowly add the lemon juice while the mixer is running. After about 30seconds- 1 minute in a stand mixer, or about 3 minutes mixing by hand, the egg whites should become frothy. Once they become frothy slowly start to stream in the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Continue to whip the egg whites until the reach a soft peak stage.
- Butter a tart pan with a removable bottom or a springform tart pan. In this recipe I used a 10" pan. Other sizes will work, but know that cook time may need to be adjusted.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. About ¼-½ cup at a time fold in the almond flour to the egg whites. After adding in some almond flour, fold in the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Then fold in more almond flour. Then alternate between folding in the butter mixture and the almond flour until all ingredients are added into the egg whites. It should be the consistency of a soft cookie dough
- Add the mixture to the buttered baking pan. Smooth into an even layer. Bake in a 350°F oven for about 45 minutes, or until the center reaches between 180-185°F. Place pan directly on the oven rack with a sheet pan on the rack below to catch any drips.
- Can be served as is, or topped with powdered sugar or toasted slivered almonds.