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.