Fig & amaretti tart

One of the first things I had adjusted after came to America is desert's serving portion. 8" tube pan which is a standard in Hongkong is now nowhere to use, here calls for 10". And slicing 10 big apples for a pie make me start to think of growing an apple tree in yard. Everytime when I'm about to cut a cake/pie, am always requested to move that knife to eastward more... But for this crostata (Italian-style tart), the taste is supposed to be very intense, very sweet; just a little wedge plus an espresso are already very satisfing. The crust is exactly the same that I tasted in Rome: a cross between flaky pastry and shortbread. I added a few pinches of cinnamon and cardamom in the dough... the magic powders to make me happy during a big snow day (few days ago)... but you can just skip them and the tart is still wonderful.

Recipe (Dough recipe adapted from the book In Nonna's Kitchen by Carol Field)

yield: 1 x 6-inch tart and 6 - 8 small individual tarts

Ingredients:

For pastry dough:

• 2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 1 stick plus 3 Tbps (5 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature, small cubed
• 1 egg plus 1 yolk, whisked
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or a few pinches of ground cinnamon and cardamom

For filling:

• fig preserve
• 1/4 cup pine nut
• 15 (or more) small amaretti, crumbled

Directions:

1. To make the pastry dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add butter cubes, cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Stir in eggs and vanilla/spices. Knead it briefly, flatten it into a dish, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour but no longer than 1 day. Please don't be tempted to add extra water even the dough may look dry, after the kneading the dough will come together, unless it's just impossible, maybe just add 2 tsps of water.
2. To make the filling: Scoop the fig preserve (by eyeball, mine estimated 10 oz/ 260 g) in a bowl, stir in nuts, add more or less ameretti crumble according to the consistency.
3. Shaping: Let the dough stand at room temperature for half an hour. Knead briefly if necessary. Divide dough to a few portions, roll them to 1/4 cm-thick, line the tart pan(s), fill with fig filling. Use the left-over to decorate the top.
4. Preheat the oven to 400F. Bake for 25-30 minutes for the big tart, less time for the smaller ones.

My notes:

1. The height of tart pan shouldn't be taller than 1 inch. For the big one, should be with a removable bottom.
2. The dough will slightly expand during baking, please avoid detailed decorations.

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