Técula-mécula (Spanish almond and egg tart)

Técula-mécula (Spanish almond and egg tart)

Técula-mécula is a popular Spanish dessert. Acclaimed chef José Pizarro shares his recipe for this traditional almond and egg tart.

Técula-mécula (Spanish almond and egg tart)

Recipe from The Spanish Home Kitchen by José Pizarro (Hardie Grant £27), on sale 9 June.

  • Serves icon Serves 10
  • Time icon Hands-on time 50 min, plus chilling. Oven time 35-40 min

Técula-mécula is a popular Spanish dessert. Acclaimed chef José Pizarro shares his recipe for this traditional almond and egg tart.

Recipe from The Spanish Home Kitchen by José Pizarro (Hardie Grant £27), on sale 9 June.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories
592kcals
Fat
35.8g (13.6g saturated)
Protein
10g
Carbohydrates
56.9g (38g sugars)
Fibre
1g
Salt
trace

Ingredients

  • 325g caster sugar
  • Finely grated zest 2 lemons
  • 120g unsalted butter, softened
  • 200g ground almonds
  • 8 free-range egg yolks
  • 50g plain flour

For the pastry

  • 190g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 55g unsalted butter, chilled
  • 55g good-quality lard, chilled
  • 45g caster sugar
  • 3 tbsp ice-cold water

You’ll also need

  •  25cm x 4cm fluted tart tin with removable base
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Method

  1. For the pastry, mix the plain flour and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Rub the butter and lard into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the caster sugar, then gradually add the ice-cold water, mixing with a dinner knife into a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly until smooth and soft. Gather into a ball, flatten into a disc, then wrap and chill for a few hours.
  2. On a floured work surface, rollout the dough to a thickness of 2-3mm. Press into the tin, then trim away the excess. Chill while you make the filling.
  3. Combine the sugar, 325ml water and the lemon zest in a small, heavy saucepan over a low heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until you have a thick syrup. Remove from the heat and cool until just warm.
  4. Heat the oven to 160°C fan/gas 4 and put a baking sheet inside to heat up. In a bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until soft, then beat in the ground almonds. In another large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until creamy. Gradually pour in the sugar syrup, whisking constantly, then whisk until the mixture has doubled in volume. Add the almond mixture and the flour, then beat until smooth.
  5. Scoop the filling into the tart case. Bake on the hot baking sheet for 35-40 minutes until lightly golden and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool in the tart tin. Remove the tin sides and slide the cooled tart onto a serving plate. Serve at room temperature.

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
592kcals
Fat
35.8g (13.6g saturated)
Protein
10g
Carbohydrates
56.9g (38g sugars)
Fibre
1g
Salt
trace

delicious. tips

  1. Don’t waste it: Freeze lightly beaten egg whites in an ice cube tray (1 cube equals roughly 1 egg white) for up to 6 months. Defrost to use.

  2. Bake the pastry case 24 hours in advance. Fill and bake before serving.

  3. José says: “The tart originates from the time of the Berber-Hispanic Muslims in Spain, and this is clear from the ingredients used, such as almonds. Técula mécula means ‘for you, for me’. I first encountered it when I was a chef working in Cáceres. I made it for my family once and now we have it regularly”

Buy ingredients online

Recipe By:

José Pizarro

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