Traditional Algarve Carob and Almond Tart • Tarte de Alfarroba

Here is one of those sweets that is as typical of the Algarve as the sunshine itself (yes sunshine is a registered trademark of the Algarve hehehehe). Carob grows pretty much everywhere down there in the south of Portugal, and the fruit itself has a really interesting, naturally sweet flavor that reminds a little of cocoa, which is why it sometimes gets used as an alternative to it. It is one of those ingredients that feels both ancient and forgotten at the same time, and honestly it deserves a whole lot more attention than it gets.

This pie is simple to put together and the result should be soft, moist and sweet, with a filling that stays beautifully tender even after it cools down. The recipe below includes instructions for making your own pastry from scratch, but if you want to keep things easy, a store bought shortcrust works just fine as well, it really comes down to personal preference. As for the dried figs, they do sometimes go into the dough in some versions of this recipe, but here they are purely for decoration, which honestly is reason enough to use them.

One thing worth mentioning before you dive in, this is not a very common dish, even in the Algarve itself. In Portugal it is very much traditional and, I have to say, absolutely delicious, but to make it you need carob flour, and you don’t even need a lot of it. It is there mainly for color and flavor, while the almonds do most of the heavy lifting. That said, if you can get your hands on some carob flour, this recipe is absolutely worth making.

And in case you are wondering what it actually tastes like, well, the flavor is super interesting, kind of sweet, earthy, nutty and chocolaty all at once. It is a little bit strange but in the best possible way. Also, this recipe happens to feature what people in the Algarve call the three delights: carob, almonds and figs. These three ingredients are among the most abundant in the region and are very much part of the local cuisine, so it makes total sense that they all end up together in this tart, even if the figs are really just there to look pretty… Hahaha. Let’s check the recipe!

Traditional Algarve Carob and Almond Tart • Tarte de Alfarroba

Servings: 12
Time: 1hr
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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Yeah I know a not very complicated tart recipe with very hard to find ingredients, sometimes i have to share what i have and sometimes what I like ;D Hehehehe

Ingredients

Flour – 200g
Icing Sugar – 100g
Butter – 100g (Room Temperature)
Eggs – 2
Salt – A Pinch
Brown Sugar – 120g (Or Muscovado)
Carob Flour – 60g
Ground Almonds – 100g
Eggs – 6
Lemon – 1 (Just Zest)
Butter – 2 Tablespoons
Cinnamon – A Pinch
Salt – A Pinch
Icing Sugar – For Dusting
Dried Figs – For Decoration

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).
First, make the dough. If using ready-made shortcrust pastry, you can skip this step. Combine the 200g of flour, the 100g of icing sugar, the 100g of butter, the 2 eggs and a pinch of salt in a bowl, yes including the room-temperature butter, and mix until you obtain a dough with some consistency.
Now, place the dough in a tart tin (about 30cm) with a removable bottom, spreading it well with your fingers to cover the bottom and sides of the tin completely.
Bake in a preheated oven at about 180ºC (350ºF) for about 15 minutes to set the tart base. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Now for the filling, separate the egg yolks from the whites and add the whites to a bowl with the sugar. Whisk the yolks with the sugar until you obtain a fluffy, pale mixture.
Then add the carob flour, ground almonds, zest of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, a pinch of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Mix well by hand until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
Finally, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form and gently fold them into the carob mixture. Pour this tart filling mixture into the baking pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Since this is a very black filling, use a toothpick to test if the batter is cooked through. If the toothpick comes out clean, the batter is done. The filling should be cooked but still soft and fluffy. Remove from the oven and let cool before unmolding.
When it’s completely cold, dust with powdered sugar and decorate with one or more dried figs. Enjoy!

Notes & Tips: Carob flour can be a bit tricky to find depending on where you are. Health food stores, specialty grocery shops and online retailers are usually your best bet. Some stores that carry gluten-free or alternative baking ingredients tend to stock it. If you are in Portugal, you will likely find it in most supermarkets, especially in the south.

As mentioned, a store-bought shortcrust saves a good chunk of time and works perfectly well here. If you do make it from scratch, make sure the butter is genuinely at room temperature before mixing, otherwise the dough can end up too crumbly and difficult to press into the pan.

The goal here is a filling that is cooked through but still soft and slightly moist inside, not dry. If it starts browning too quickly on top, loosely tent some foil over the tart for the last 10 minutes of baking.

Be patient and gentle when folding in the whites, because that is what gives the filling its light, almost mousse-like texture. If you whisked them in too much, you lose that softness entirely.

Let the tart cool completely, ideally for at least an hour, before trying to remove it from the pan and slice it. Warm, it will be quite delicate and might fall apart. Cooled, it holds together beautifully.

The figs are decorative here, but they do add a lovely little bite of sweetness if you actually eat them with the pie, which I strongly recommend. They also make the tart look very traditional and quite beautiful.

Sorry about the photos, not only is this a old recipe, but at the time i was taking them with my cellphone, so sometimes they came out alright other times… ups ;D

This recipe for Traditional Algarve Carob and Almond Tart • Tarte de Alfarroba was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Tarte de Alfarroba foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.