Saint James Tart is a gastronomic treasure deeply rooted in the rich Galician tradition, with its origins in haute patisserie and its evolution over the centuries, consolidating its status as a culinary icon in the region and extending its fame beyond its borders.
The origin of Saint James tart, like the polvorones, dates back to the Middle Ages when almonds (mainly imported from the Levant region of Spain) were introduced to Galicia. Despite their scarcity and cost, almonds were initially consumed by the wealthier classes, who began to use them, among other uses, to make high-quality pastries.
Saint James tart, initially known as “royal tart”, was first mentioned in 1.577 at the University of Santiago, where it is described as a dessert made with ground almonds, sugar, eggs, baked and served in individual portions.
In the 19th century, almonds and their derivated products became popular, consolidating what we know as traditional Galician cuisine, fusing haute cuisine with popular gastronomy.
Saint James tart, with its characteristic flavour and presentation, becomes a distinctive element of Galician pastry. During the 20th century, this delight was gradually integrated into Spanish culinary treatises, further strengthening its connection with the Galician tradition.
Saint James tart is a gastronomic treasure rooted in the rich Galician tradition, with its origins in haute patisserie and its evolution over the centuries.
But it was not until 1.924 that the Saint James tart adopted its characteristic image, with the Cross of Saint James as a distinctive touch. This year, José Mora opened a patisserie called “Casa Mora”, and decided to incorporate the Cross of Saint James into the famous almond tart. This distinctive and innovative touch became the emblem of patisserie in the city of Santiago de Compostela.
It should be said that in the “Spanish inventory of traditional products”, published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 1.996, Saint James tart appears as a typically Galician product in the section dedicated to pastry products.
And, in 2.008, “Saint James tart” becomes a product covered by the Protected Geographical Indication (P.G.I.) as a traditional Galician patisserie. In it, the basic ingredients of the Saint James Tart are almonds, sugar and eggs.
Thanks to José Mora and his “Casa Mora” patisserie, in 1.924, the Saint James tart adopts its characteristic image with the Cross of Saint James as a distinctive touch.
As you can see, it is a super easy recipe. You just need to mix all the ingredients, add the mixture to a mould and let it bake. But at the same time, it is an exquisite pastry and the icon of the Galician patisserie.
I propose you a recipe quite different from the original recipe, as, in addition to the typical ingredients (eggs, ground almonds and sugar), it includes a bit of milk and baking powder.
In my opinion, although the original recipe is delicious, the addition of milk and baking powder makes the tart have a lighter and fluffier texture, making the crumb of the tart more airy and soft.
Also, we must not forget that it is a gluten-free tart. If you are a celiac person or have gluten intolerance, don´t miss triyng this gluten-free carrot cake or this chocolate brownie recipe.
And since in 1.924 José Mora innovated by including the Cross of Saint Jams, Why not innovate now and include some other drawing? I have tried the K of Kokohuete, a snowflake or even Saint Fermin …
And you, are you ready to try it?
Let´s go with this easy recipe!
Difficulty: EASY
Preparation time: 1 hour
Baking time: 40 minutes
SAINT JAMES TART
INGREDIENTS (For 1 tart mould of 26 -28 cm diameter)
- 4 eggs (L)
- 250 g ground almond
- 200 g sugar
- 150 g milk
- 1 tablespoon or sachet of baking powder
PREPARATION
Firstly, pre-heat the oven to 160 ºC. Heat up and down, without fan.
Then, grease all the tart mould (both the base and the edges of the mould) with oil. We do this to prevent the tart batter from sticking to the surface of the mould and making it easier to unmould.
Add all the ingredients in a bowl, and blend them until everything is well mixed.
Once all the ingredients are mixed, pour the mixture in the mould. Help yourself with a spatula to clean the sides of the bowl well. Doing that, you will use the whole mixture. There will be no waste!
Put the mould in the oven. Place it at a medium-low height.
And finally, bake the tart at 160 ºC for around 40 – 50 minutes or until you see that the surface of the tart is well cooked.
I used the top and bottom heat function without the fan. But if you want to use the fan, remember to lower the temperature by 20 ºC and bake the tart at 140 ºC.
One tip: Do not try to reduce the time by baking the tart at a higher temperature; You will only burn the outside of the tart, leaving the centre raw.
Once baked, remove the tart from the oven, caover it with a tea towel, and leave it to cool (this way, we prevent the cake form suffering a very sudden temperature change after removing it from the oven. This will help to better maintain its spongy structure).
Once cool, and before serving the tart, place the template and decorate with icing sugar. As we have seen, the authentic Saint James tart has the Cross of Saint James decorating it. But if you want, feel free to add your touch and add another decorative figure if you like!
SAINT JAMES TART
1
Saint James tart1
hour40 - 50
minutesIngredients
4 eggs (L)
250 g ground almond
200 g sugar
150 g milk
1 tablespoon or sachet baking powder
Preparation
- Heat the oven to 160 ºC / 320 ºF
- Grease the tart mould with oil
- Add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them until everything is well combined
- Once mixed, pour the mixture in the mould and put it in the oven
- Bake for around 40 - 50 minutes
- Once baked, remove the tart from the oven, cover iwth a tea towel and leave it to cool
- Place the template in the tart and decorate with icing sugar
Did you like this recipe? Go ahead and do it!
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