The tart is a timeless dessert, suitable for any occasion, and it probably could be too the oldest dessert of Italian pastry.
The pastry is the secret heart of the tart, and lends itself to receiving jams, marmalades, fresh fruit, chocolate and ricotta; thus transforming itself according to the filling.
The pie
Fruit tart, chocolate tart, with custard, with apples or modern tart; you just have to choose. The modern ones are distinguished by a slightly more elaborate and scenographic filling. Its history is not easily datable, but it seems it can even be traced back in the pre-Christian era; later becoming the oldest dessert in the Italian pastry tradition.
The story of the tart mixes with the legend, from the myth of the sweet mermaid Partenope, which tells of how the cake was a divine gift from the gods in homage to her melodious song. However, the invention of this cake could be the merit of a nun of the convent of S. Gregorio Armeno. It looks like the shortcrust strips on the filling; were born to remember the grates of the enclosure. Nonetheless, around the year one thousand, we find for the first time in Venice, a recipe for dessert with cane sugar that came from the Middle East.
The tart in history
At that time sugar imported from the East began to be used. However, despite the poor origin; this dessert in the course of history has dominated the tables, thanks to its versatility; also winning the favor of the Bourbons. It's said, in fact, that the tart was the only dessert capable of snatching a smile from Queen Maria Theresa of Austria; wife of King Ferdinand II of Bourbon.
Tart recipe
What we propose is a simple and practical recipe; with some little tricks and without scales:
Make a small volcano of cake flour without weighing it, and break it two whole eggs inside. With a fork, begin to take the flour, and only now add a cup of sugar, then half a stick of vegetable margarine.
Shortbread
Mix and squeeze half a lemon, add a teaspoon of baking soda and a glass of flavored liqueur to taste. Do not forget the baking soda, because it will give softness to the pastry and will keep the tart for a long time. Continue to work the pastry, which must be uniform, and use the flour until the dough takes some.
Finally, I recommend that you wrap the dough in plastic wrap leaving it in the fridge for half an hour to rest. However, know that the longer the pastry dough rests, the better it will be for an optimal result. Once taken out of the fridge, roll it out with a rolling pin, helping you with a little flour. Cut a shape, two fingers larger than the pan you are going to put it in. Once spread, prick the bottom with a fork. Take the jam and spread it out evenly. Now with a little more pastry, make a nice rectangle with a rolling pin.
Fruit cake
Take a pizza wheel, I recommend it, and make strips to decorate as you see in the photos. In the meantime you will have already heated the oven to 180 °, and bake for about forty minutes. Keep in mind that each oven is different from the other and you should check cooking carefully. When the tart is well colored on the surface, you only have to keep the part on of the oven until the end of cooking. Of course we use a classic shortcrust pastry, however, it can be prepared with many types of flours; from classic to amaranth, or use the gluten-free one. Regarding the filling, if you are new to it, it is better to use a good compact jam, perhaps adding a drop of flavored liqueur again; as the filling dries out a bit during cooking. Nonetheless, you can indulge yourself with cream, chocolate e ricotta cheese or also fresh fruit; maybe berries and decorate with powdered sugar.
