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En Casa Cooking Space

En Casa Cooking Space

Sweet bites of delight for curious paletes

Pasta Frola (or Quince Tart)

4 April 2019 By Paula

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Pasta frola, or quince paste tart, slices on a wooden board, some forks and a bottle of milk at the back

Another Argentinean classic: Pasta Frola (or quince tart), the two magic words. Each family has its own recipe. This is mine’s: crumbly crust and lots of quince paste.

Whole Pasta Frola from Overhead with some milk and a few pieces already cut

A bit of history on the Pasta Frola

If this is the first time you’ve heard of this tart, you should know it was born from different cultures. On one side, from the Genoese immigrants. They had the famous crostata, which has a frolla shortcrust with a wide range of fruit jams. However, there is also the rumour that it originated from the Linzer Tart from Switzerland. Especially due to the decorative top. All good so far, but they had to adapt the filling to our taste, so they decided to add quince paste, one of the most traditional jams in the country.

Pasta Frola on a wooden board with some milk at the back and two forks

How to make this pasta frola

I’m not going to get into details, as you can read the step by step down below. But I will tell you that this shortcrust is super flexible and multipurpose. It is very easy to make, you can freeze it (unbaked) and it’s not that sweet. You may recognize it from my Dulce de Leche and Double Chocolate Bars recipe. (If you haven’t seen them already, be my guest and get ready to drool a bit with this triple bomb. You’ve been warned!)

Once you get the shortcrust ready and you’ve added the quince paste, it should be ready to go. BUT, it wouldn’t be a pasta frola without its characteristic sort of criss cross pattern on top.

How to make the criss-cross pattern

It’s not as complicated as it sounds. Besides, what’s the worst that can happen? Maybe they won’t come out super straight. Who cares? They’ll be super yummy anyways 🙂

In this virtual world so obsessed with perfection, I like the pasta frola to be a bit crooked, rustic and homemade-style. Which as you can tell, is a common factor in my blog.

Once you’ve separated 3/4 of the shortcrust for the base, we’ll create the strips for the top part with the remaining 1/4. I would suggest the shortcrust is cold, so it’s easy to manipulate. I usually add a bit more flour (maybe 1 or 2 tablespoons), just to make sure the dough doesn’t expand too much in the oven and keep its shape. So, you have to roll the crust to 1 cm thick, cut the strips (around 1 cm again) and place them on top of the quince paste creating a criss-cross pattern. You can also roll them with your hands, forming thin logs. whichever you prefer. Check my photos for some inspiration

Friend’s Advice: You can easily prepare the shortcrust and stick it into the freezer. You just have to thaw it a few hours before baking the tart and done! And you can also bake it with the quince paste and everything, cut it and freeze it like that. It’s sooo good, even if it’s frozen hehe.

If you would like to try a different version of this Pasta Frola, you can use any jam or mermelade of your choice In Argentina, it’s very common to see it with dulce de batata (sweet potato jam) or even dulce de leche. Yum!!

Three Pasta Frola squares on a wooden board (side)

Don’t forget to leave a comment down below if you try this recipe (and why not, an Uber-style rating? ★★★★★). It not only helps me but also other people that want to try it. You can also tag me on Instagram or Pinterest so I get to check your photos or send them to me privately if you are shy.

Other similar recipes:

  • Quince Thumbprint Cookies
  • Coconut and Dulce de Leche Tart
  • Dulce de Leche and Double Chocolate Bars
One square of Pasta_Frola

Quince Tart (or Pasta Frola)

Paula Delapenna
The family recipe for the traditional Pasta Frola with quince paste. So Argentinean as mate and dulce de leche!
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Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 55 mins
Course Tarts
Servings 15 slices

Ingredients
  

  • 100 g unsalted butter room temperature
  • 100 g granulated sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 egg
  • 200 g self-rising flour
  • 1 tbsp vanilla essence
  • 250 g quince paste

Instructions
 

Shortcrust

  • In a bowl, whisk the butter and the sugar.
  • Add the yolk, the egg and the vanilla essence, and whisk until well combined in a fluffy and whiter batter.
  • With a spatula, fold in the flour with patience, until it’s well combined.
  • Once it’s well combined, cover the bowl and pop it into the fridge for 30 minutes.

Assembly

  • Preheat your oven to 180 ºC and spray a 26-cm tart dish with some non-stick spray.
  • In a small bowl, add the quince paste with ½ cup water and heat it up in the microwave for 30 seconds, until the quince is softer. Smash it with a fork in order to get a more manageable consistency.
  • On a floured countertop, roll ¾ of the shortcrust 1 cm thick.
  • Lay the shortcrust in the tart dish and spread the quince paste.
  • Roll the remaining 1/4 of the crust, cut 1 cm strips and place them on top of the quince paste in a criss-cross pattern (see the pictures for inspiration).
  • Bake for 25 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

Notes

  • STORAGE: You can easily store the pasta frola in an air-tight container at room temperature for 4 days, or a week in the fridge (if you don’t eat them before then!)
  • FREEZER: It’s possible to freeze the shortcrust before baking it. Or you can freeze it already baked, cut in squares of any size. You just have to thaw it 30 minutes before eating and done!
  • ALTERNATIVES: Instead of quince paste, you can pretty much use any type of jam or marmalade, as long as it’s a bit solid, such as dulce de leche, dulce de batata, raspberries, figs, plums.
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Hola!

I’m Paula. Baker by legacy thanks to my grandma and mom, curious by nature. I’ll share all the go-to recipes I’ve learnt from my family back in Argentina and some others I’ve picked up along the way. Some decadent, some healthy-ish. Happy baking!

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encasa_cooking
Hola 👋🏼 In case we haven't met, I'm Paula, t Hola 👋🏼 In case we haven't met, I'm Paula, the everything behind En Casa (baker, photographer, cleaner, sales rep, marketing "expert", delivery driver, customer service and so much more).⁠
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I hardly ever post my face here, but I thought I would share 10 random things so you get to know me a bit better:⁠
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1. Originally from Olavarría 🇦🇷, I have lived in the US for a year and a bit (both Ohio and Colorado have a piece of my heart), then 10 years in Buenos Aires and 9 years in Melbourne ).⁠
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2. I've never been much of a beach person (mountains all the way!), but just moved to a beach town and loving and embracing this new life!!⁠
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3. I hardly ever wear make-up. If I do, the bare minimum... ⁠
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4. Even though I'm quite chatty, I'm also very shy in big groups or new situations/meeting new people. ⁠
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5. My love language is food.⁠
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6. I save all my money to travel (and probably buy food + plants + books 🤣). ⁠
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7. I'm a big sci-fi + Marvel nerd. I've recently finished watching all the Marvel movies chronologically (old COVID times...)⁠
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8. I shouldn't admit this but I prefer quince paste to dulce de leche any day of the week 🤫🤫⁠
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9. I love deep chats and all things self-development and growth. Always learning and evolving...⁠
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10. I'm a lone wolf 🤣, but still enjoy company if it's good vibes and meaningful. ⁠
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If you are still reading, THANK YOU!!! ❤️ And make sure to come say Hola! at my next market!! ⁠
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(Español en comentarios... demasiado largo)⁠
So excited to announce the upcoming markets!!⁠
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Can't wait to introduce Port to alfajores, pasta frola, and all yummy Argentinian baked goods. I don't think you know what's coming hahaha 😋⁠
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More info to come soon, but get your calendars out and if you are nearby, come say Hola! and get some delicious treats for the weekend. ⁠
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Que lindo volver a anunciar los próximos mercados!!⁠
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No veo la hora de presentarle a Port los alfajores, pasta frola y todas las delicias argentinas. Creo que no saben lo que les espera jajaja 😋⁠
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Más info prontito, pero si andan por la zona, pasen a saludar y comprar cosas ricas para el finde.⁠
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#alfajores #dulcedeleche #alfajoresdemaicena #alfajoresaustralia #alfajoresmelbourne #cookiesandwich #alfajoresartesanales #alfajoresargentinos #portmacquarie #portmacquariensw #midnorthcoast #discoverportmacquarie #iloveportmacquarie #visitportmacquarie #visitnsw #portmacquariefoodies #portmacquariecafe #portmacquarieeats #portmacquariebusiness
The most decadent chocolate cake 🍫 Chocolate s The most decadent chocolate cake 🍫

Chocolate sponge + chocolate frosting… perfection!!
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La torta de chocolate más rica de todas 🍫

Torta de chocolate + frosting de chocolate… la perfección misma!!
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#chocolatecake #chocolatefrosting #matildacake #chocolatelovers #tortadechocolate #portmacquarie #portmacquariensw #midnorthcoast #discoverportmacquarie #iloveportmacquarie #visitportmacquarie #visitnsw #portmacquariefoodies #portmacquariecafe #portmacquarieeats #portmacquariebusiness
Dulce de leche “Pionono” (aka, cake roll) One Dulce de leche “Pionono” (aka, cake roll)

One of the most popular desserts at the markets. Order it online, find the recipe in my blog or find it soon at the next market 🤫 
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Pionono de dulce de leche, todo un clásico ⭐️

Uno de los productos más populares en los mercados… Lo podés pedir online, cocinarlo con la receta en mi blog o lo encontrás en el próximo mercado prontito 🤫
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#dulcedeleche #pionono #pasteleriaartesanal #dessertsofinstagram #portmacquarie #portmacquariefoodies #portmacquariebusiness
A bit of summer in the shape of brownie ☀️...⁠
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A whole lot of colours and textures, all in one dessert 👌🏼⁠
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Fudgy brownie base + Dulce de leche + Fresh whipped cream + Fresh berries⁠
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Un poquito de verano en forma de brownie ☀️...⁠
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Muchos colores y texturas, todo en un solo postre 👌🏼⁠
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Base de brownie bien húmedo + Dulce de leche + Crema batida + Frutos rojos frescos⁠
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