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1
To make the crust, combine the flour, confectioners sugar, almond meal, baking powder, leavening, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse to combine the ingredients.
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2
Add the butter and pulse until the crumbs are the consistency of fine wet meal.
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3
Whisk the cream, orange flower water, and egg yolk (reserve white for brushing tart later) together in a small bowl and add it to the bowl of the food processor.
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4
Pulse until the dough barely comes together.
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5
Dust a flat work surface with flour, turn the dough out onto it, and knead the dough for a few minutes until it comes together in a ball.
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6
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to three days, or freeze it for up to two months.
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7
(Defrost the dough overnight in the refrigerator.)
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8
Adjust two oven racks so that one rack is in the top third of the oven and one in the bottom third and preheat the oven to 350F.
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9
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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10
Remove the dough from the refrigerator.
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11
Dust a flat work surface with flour, cut the dough into chunks, and knead the dough on the countertop to soften it, until it is the texture of Play-Doh.
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12
Cut one-third of the dough from the ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and return it to the refrigerator.
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13
Dust the work surface again with flour and dust a rolling pin with flour.
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14
Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick.
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15
(Depending on the size of your countertop, you may have to roll the dough out in two batches.
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16
Cut the dough in half and refrigerate one half while you are rolling the other.)
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17
Cut the dough with a 3 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, making the cuts as close together as possible.
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18
Pull away the dough scraps from around the circles, bring the scraps together to form a ball, and reroll the dough to cut more circles.
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19
Discard the scraps left after rerolling the dough once.
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20
Use your fingers to carefully roll the edges of each round of dough toward the center to create a rim about 1/4 inch thick on each tart.
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21
(This is a single roll around; your fingers might feel too big to do this, but work slowly and with care and you will get a nice rim.)
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22
Transfer the finished tart shell to one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat with the remaining rounds of dough.
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23
Place the tart shells in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
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24
To prepare the filling, stir the almond meal, egg whites, confectioners sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a small bowl.
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25
Spoon 1 scant tablespoon of marmalade in the center of each tart shell and use a small offset spatula or the back of the spoon to spread the marmalade to the rim.
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26
Spoon 1 teaspoon of the almond filling into the center of each tart and spread it out slightly, leaving the marmalade visible around the edges of the tarts.
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27
(You may not use all of the almond filling.)
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28
Remove the dough you placed in the refrigerator and dust a flat work surface and rolling pin with flour, and roll the dough out until it is almost paper thin, about 1/16 inch thick.
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29
Use a 2 1/4-inch cookie cutter to cut out as many circles as you have tarts.
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30
Place one circle on top of each of the tarts.
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31
Brush each top circle lightly with the egg whites and scatter the almonds over the egg wash, dividing them evenly and pressing them down gently to adhere them to the tarts.
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32
Bake the crostate for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are golden brown, rotating the baking sheets both from front to back and from the upper to the lower racks halfway through baking time so the crostate brown evenly.
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33
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool before removing the crostate from the baking sheets.
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34
Resist the temptation to break off the pieces of jam that may have spilled out around the crust during baking.
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35
It is a pretty detail.
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36
Vin Santo Del Chianti Classico (Tuscany)
