# Torta Della Nonna

Torta della nonna (Grandmother's cake) is a classic Italian dessert made of shortcrust pastry, filled with pastry cream, and topped with pine nuts.

- Servings: 8 servings
- Total time: 225 min
- Cuisine: Italian
- Category: Baked Goods
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 2.5 cups Flour
- 0.5 cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 0.75 cup Butter, cold
- 1 Egg + egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon Lemon zest
- 0.25 teaspoon Salt
- 4 Egg yolks
- 125 g Sugar
- 35 g Cornstarch/flour
- 2.5 cups Milk
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla bean paste
- 1 Lemon zest
- 40 g Pine nuts
- 0 Powdered sugar

## Instructions

1. Make the pastry cream: in a large bowl, combine egg yolks, 125g of sugar, and 35g of cornstarch. Whisk until light and creamy. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, pour 2½ cups of milk, add lemon zest, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste. Bring to a simmer.
3. Temper the eggs by slowly pouring the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture while constantly whisking. Strain the milk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool.
4. Make the pastry: in a food processor, combine 2½ cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, ½ cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Add cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 1 egg and 1 egg yolk and pulse until dough forms; add 1-2 teaspoons of water if needed.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
6. Soak the pine nuts in water.
7. Preheat oven to 320ºF (160ºC).
8. Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger. Roll out the larger piece into a 2mm thick circle, about 12 inches in diameter, to fit a 9 inch tart tin.
9. Place the pastry into the tart tin and press it into the bottom and sides. Trim excess pastry. Pierce the bottom of the crust with a fork.
10. Pour the chilled pastry cream into the pastry shell and spread evenly.
11. Roll out the remaining pastry into a thin circle large enough to cover the top of the tart. Place it over the filling, pinch the edges to seal, and pierce the top with a fork.
12. Brush the top pastry with egg white.
13. Drain the pine nuts and sprinkle them over the tart.
14. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely, then refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

## Equipment

- whisk
- saucepan
- food processor
- rolling pin
- 9-inch tart tin
- fork
- knife

## Source

- Original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LnPRfduH2Q
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/7ed65e8f-01bc-476b-81f5-7ec68988ae04
- Extracted: 2025-04-16

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt