Kitchen Recipe Collection
Italian Torta della Nonna
Grandmother's Cake. A comforting Tuscan tart featuring a tender shortcrust pastry filled with a thick, lemon-scented pastry cream, completely covered with pine nuts.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 135 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- italian
Ingredients
Scaled for 8 servings
- pasta frolla (sweet shortcrust pastry dough)
- whole milk
- egg yolks
- sugar
- cornstarch or flour
- lemon peel (large strips)
- pine nuts (pinoli)
- powdered sugar
Equipment
- Tart pan
- Saucepan
Instructions
- 1
Infuse Milk
In a saucepan, heat the milk with large strips of lemon peel until steaming. Remove from heat and let infuse for 15 minutes. Discard the peel.
- 2
Make Pastry Cream
Whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale. Whisk in cornstarch. Slowly temper in the hot infused milk.
- 3
Thicken Cream
Return the mixture to the stove over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until it boils and becomes very thick and glossy. Let it cool completely.
- 4
Roll Base
Divide the chilled pasta frolla dough. Roll out 2/3 of it and line a greased tart pan.
- 5
Fill
Spread the cooled, thick lemon pastry cream evenly inside the crust.
- 6
Top Crust
Roll out the remaining dough and place it over the filling. Seal the edges well with the bottom crust.
- 7
Add Pine Nuts
Brush the top crust very lightly with milk or egg white. Scatter a massive amount of pine nuts over the entire top, pressing them in gently.
- 8
Bake
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 40-45 minutes. The crust should be golden and the pine nuts deeply toasted.
- 9
Cool
The torta MUST cool completely (or be chilled) before slicing, otherwise the warm custard will spill out.
- 10
Serve
Dust heavily with powdered sugar right before serving.
Cooking Tips
- Soaking the pine nuts in water for 10 minutes before putting them on the cake prevents them from burning in the oven.
- The pastry cream must be thicker than standard custard, achieved by using a bit more cornstarch, so it sets up firmly enough to slice.
Variations
- Torta del Nonno (Grandfather's Cake): Uses a chocolate shortcrust pastry and chocolate pastry cream, topped with almonds instead of pine nuts.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- A relatively modern invention (1950s Florence) that tastes like an ancient countryside classic.
Nutrition Estimate
420 calories · 8g protein · 48g carbs · 22g fat · 1g fiber per serving
