Ingredients
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup whole almonds
- 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, organic preferred (measured by dipping and leveling)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Generous pinch salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in 6 chunks
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup jam (tart cherry and wild blueberry are especially good)
Preparation
Step 1
1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Butter a 9-inch dark-colored cake or tart pan. (If using a silver-colored pan, bake the tart an additional 5 minutes to brown the bottom of the crust.)
2. With the food processor running, drop in the lemon peel and almonds, and grind them fine. Stop the machine, scrape down the sides, and add the flour, sugar, salt, butter, egg yolk, and almond extract. Pulse until they are blended and start to come together in small clumps at the bottom of the processor. (They should look like clusters of peas.)
3. Turn the pastry into the pan. With your hands pat it out to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Give the tart a standing rim by nudging the dough up the sides of the pan by 1/2 inch. Don't worry if it looks a little ragged.
4. Bake the crust in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, or until its edges are golden and the center is starting to color. The rim will sink down a little, which is fine.
5. Remove the pan from the oven, and turn the heat up to 500ºF. Carefully spread the jam over the tart, and return it to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the jam is bubbly.
6. Cool the tart on a rack, slice it into squares or wedges, and serve.