Name: Pastatella (Almond, Chocolate, and Orange Tarts)
Yield: Makes 14 (4-inch) tarts or 6 (4-inch) tarts and 1 (8-inch) tart
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour; ⅓ cup (2½ ounces) sugar; ½ teaspoon baking powder; 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk, beaten together in a small bowl; 3½ ounces semisweet chocolate, grated or shaved; ¾ cup (3½ ounces) finely chopped candied orange or citron peel; A pinch of salt; 5 tablespoons (2½ ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature; 2 eggs; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; Grated zest of 1 lemon; 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa; 2 scant cups (9 ounces) chopped toasted raw almonds; 1¼ cups (9 ounces) sugar; About 5 tablespoons tepid water; 5 egg whites, room temperature

Preparation info

Makes
14
( 4 inch ) tarts

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

In Nonna's Kitchen

By Carol Field

Published 1997

About

Marzia Buontempo in Ururi has loved eating pastatella all her life—who could blame her?—but she only succeeded in wresting the recipe from her cousin, who had sole possession for years, when the woman finally announced that she’d given up baking. The recipe for the tart with its orange-flavored chocolate filling has been secretly guarded by generations of her mother’s family.

This is an excellent dessert for the holidays because it keeps so well and because it is be