IN ITALIAN, THIS SUPERB ALMOND AND JAM CONFECTION IS CALLED A ‘FREGOLOTTA’. ANDREW CALLS IT ONE OF THE EASIEST TARTS HE EVER BAKED.
CINDY MUSHET IS CALIFORNIA BAKING ROYALTY. TODAY’S RECIPE FOR ITALIAN JAM SHORTBREAD TART
That’s today’s recipe. As long as you’ve got butter, sugar, and flour, you can toss whatever jams or nuts you have in your pantry. It’s pure magic! The dough is a game-changer. It’s just one super simple shortbread recipe. But you use the same dough for both the crust and the topping! Why would you ever bother making them separately again? And the best part? You can whip this up in about an hour, clean-up included, and it comes out looking like an intricate little masterpiece—think Byzantine mosaics. Perfect for holidays, sure, but honestly, Andrew says to keep this gem in your repertoire all year. It doesn’t depend on seasonal fruits so you can make it any flavor you want. We highly recommend using Bon Maman, not just for the phenomenal variety of jams they make but also for this story of the family who makes them. Here’s the link to that story: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bonne-maman-holocaust-shelter/The recipe comes from Cindy Mushet in her cookbook, “Desserts: Mediterranean Flavor, California Style” which, while published in 2000, is still to be had at Amazon. Andrew found it included in Food 52’s Genius Desserts, another treasure trove of great recipes. Click on the covers to buy either book.
NOW ABOUT THE FREGOLOTTA…
The name comes from “fregole,” which is Venetian for crumbs. It hails from the area around Treviso, and the story goes that in the early 1900s, a clever baker named Angelo Zizzola from Salvarosa di Castelfranco Veneto came up with this gem. He whipped it up using just flour, sugar, butter, and cream, and because it would crumble like crazy when you tore it apart, he named it fregolotta. It’s also known as rosegota, which comes from “rosegar,” meaning “to gnaw on something” in Venetian. Quite honestly, I don’t think this tart is a true ‘fregolotta’. Over the years, people have altered the original recipe using more eggs, more butter, and almonds. Those additions come much closer to this great recipe. Here it is and after it a couple of other almond desserts that you should try.
ITALIAN JAM SHORTBREAD TART
September 15, 2024
: 8
: 10 min
: Easy as Pie
Imagine a tart that lets you choose any flavor of jam you have on hand, topped with crunchy almonds in a super simple shortbread crust.
1/4 cup (2 ounces) not too sweet apricot jam (or other jam of your choice)
1/3 cup (1 ounce) sliced natural almonds
Directions
Step 1Heat the oven to 350 °F. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven.
Step 2 Place the butter, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (a handheld mixer is fine
Step 3 just allow a little extra time to reach each stage in the recipe). Beat on medium speed until the mixture is very light in color, about 3 to 4 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the almond extract and blend well, another 30 seconds.
Step 4In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and combine on a low speed just until the dough is thoroughly combined in about 30 to 40 seconds. Measure out 1/2 cup of the dough and set it on a small plate, then place the plate in the freezer (this will chill the dough and make it easier to crumble).
Step 5 Press the remaining dough into a 9 or 9 1/2-inch tart pan in an even layer (the edges can be a little higher than the rest, just be careful that the center is not the thickest point). If the dough is too sticky, just chill it briefly.
Step 6 Use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the jam in a thin, even layer over the surface of the dough, leaving a border of about 1 inch around the edges.
Step 7 Remove the reserved dough from the freezer and crumble it into small pieces over the layer of the jam, allowing some of the jam to peek through. Sprinkle the sliced almonds evenly over the top of the tart.
Step 8 Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the topping is a beautiful golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool completely. If your tart pan has a removable bottom, to unmold, center the tart pan on top of a large can so that it balances midair as the rim of the tart pan falls to the counter. Leave the bottom of the pan under the tart for support, or run a large spatula between the crust and the pan, using the spatula to guide the tart onto a plate. Alternately, cut wedges straight from the pan. Serve with tart whipped cream.
Step 9 Store the tart covered in plastic wrap, at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. The tart can be assembled ahead and frozen for up to 1 month. Assemble the tart, then wrap tightly twice in plastic wrap and freeze on a flat surface — it may require a few minutes extra of baking time.
Maman, not just for the phenomenal variety of jams they make but also for this story of the family who makes them. Here’s the link to that story: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bonne-maman-holocaust-shelter/The recipe comes from Cindy Mushet in her cookbook, “Desserts: Mediterranean Flavor, California Style” which, while published in 2000, is still to be had at Amazon. Andrew found it included in Food 52’s Genius Desserts, another treasure trove of great recipes. Click on the covers to buy either book.
around Treviso, and the story goes that in the early 1900s, a clever baker named Angelo Zizzola from Salvarosa di Castelfranco Veneto came up with this gem. He whipped it up using just flour, sugar, butter, and cream, and because it would crumble like crazy when you tore it apart, he named it fregolotta. It’s also known as rosegota, which comes from “rosegar,” meaning “to gnaw on something” in Venetian. Quite honestly, I don’t think this tart is a true ‘fregolotta’. Over the years, people have altered the original recipe using more eggs, more butter, and almonds. Those additions come much closer to this great recipe. Here it is and after it a couple of other almond desserts that you should try.
