Torta della nonna
The name means "grandmother's tart" and everything about it is as simple as that suggests: shortcrust, lemon custard, pine nuts. The difficulty sits in one place — custard between two layers of pastry soaks the base if it is even slightly too loose. So it is cooked noticeably thicker than usual and cooled completely before it goes in. Warm custard guarantees a soggy bottom.
Your own work in that: 0 min.
- Shortcrust 20 min
- Lemon custard 20 min
- Chilling pastry and custard 70 min
- Baking 45 min
- Cooling 45 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneMake the pastry and chill it
Rub the cold butter into the flour with the sugar, lemon zest and salt to crumbs, add the egg and yolks and gather into a ball without kneading. Divide two thirds to one third, flatten and chill for an hour. Meanwhile make the custard (steps 2–4).
Ingredients: 350 g plain flour · 180 g butter · 130 g sugar · 1 pcs eggs · 1 pcs lemon · 1 pinch salt
Infuse the milk with lemon peel
Bring the milk to a boil with the peel of two lemons, take it off the heat and leave covered for 15 minutes. Pare the peel thinly, with no white pith — the pith is what turns bitter, not the oils.
Ingredients: 600 ml milk · 5 pcs egg yolks · 140 g sugar · 60 g cornflour · 2 pcs lemons · 30 g butter
Cook a very thick custard
Whisk the yolks with sugar and cornflour, temper with the strained milk, return to the pan and cook 3 minutes past thickening. The custard should be noticeably thicker than ordinary pastry cream — the whisk should leave deep tracks in it.
Ingredients: 600 ml milk · 5 pcs egg yolks · 140 g sugar · 60 g cornflour · 2 pcs lemons · 30 g butter
The whisk leaves clear tracks — thicker than usual.Cool the custard completely under film
Stir in the butter, spread into a shallow dish, cover with film touching the surface and chill until cold, at least an hour in the fridge. Warm custard melts the fat in the pastry and the base will not bake through — the commonest failure in this tart.
Ingredients: 600 ml milk · 5 pcs egg yolks · 140 g sugar · 60 g cornflour · 2 pcs lemons · 30 g butter
Line the tin and prick the base
Heat the oven to 175°C. Roll out the larger piece and line a 24 cm tin including the sides. Prick the base with a fork every 2 cm — steam beneath the pastry needs an escape, or the base lifts into a bubble under the custard.
Ingredients: 350 g plain flour · 180 g butter · 130 g sugar · 1 pcs eggs · 1 pcs lemon · 1 pinch salt
Base pricked all over, edge level with the rim.Fill and cover with the second sheet
Pour in the cold custard, level it, roll the smaller piece into a disc and lay it on. Seal the edges by pressing with your fingers and trim the excess. Prick the lid in a few places.
Ingredients: 80 g pine nuts · 20 g icing sugar
Cover with pine nuts and bake 45 minutes
Brush the lid with a little milk and scatter the pine nuts densely, pressing them in lightly so they do not slide off. Bake 45 minutes at 175°C until golden. The nuts toast in that time; if they darken too fast, cover the tart loosely with foil.
Ingredients: 80 g pine nuts · 20 g icing sugar
Densely and pressed in — otherwise they slide off.Cool in the tin and dust with sugar
Cool for at least 45 minutes in the tin. A warm tart with a thick custard inside falls apart when moved. Dust with icing sugar just before serving, at room temperature.
Ingredients: 80 g pine nuts · 20 g icing sugar
Before you start
Keep it in the fridge
A milk-and-yolk custard spoils easily, so keep the cooled tart in the fridge (no more than 2 hours at room temperature) — it keeps there for 2 days. Take it out half an hour before serving; the pastry softens a little, but the flavour does not suffer.
Pine nuts or almonds
Pine nuts are classic and expensive. Flaked almonds behave similarly for a fraction of the price — a different flavour, the same function: a crisp layer against a soft custard.
Custard in advance
The custard can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Whisk it smooth before use — it stiffens enough that it will not spread evenly straight from the bowl.
