A tussle with an inimitable Portuguese Caramelized Almond tart
This simple tart, if made correctly, is simply out of this world. We were first introduced to it when we were invited to lunch at Feito no Zambujal . It had been made by a local Portuguese lady who was one of their clients. In this area of the Algarve, as in the whole region, its a tradition that the women have the knowledge and ability to make these inimitable richest of desserts that have been proven down the centuries, with the most humble materials, butter, eggs, sugar and of course almonds. They are closely protected family secrets and that´s why we are only lucky enough to stumble on them by chance. This one is a Portuguese classic, it has a rich, crumbly, buttery cookie-like base. The topping is.... dreamy, it's caramelized, crunchy and nutty. Really easy to make, you don't even need a rolling pin for the crust.The hardest part was emulating the recipe and cracking its spell. It was a case of try and try again. Stupidly I should have followed my original insti
