Torta Della Nonna Con Pignoli

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year !

This is a traditional cake made by grandma's.

 It is a wonderfully delicate pie.

For the dough place in a food processor:

1 cup of butter
3 1/2 cups of AP flour
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
4 teaspoons of almond flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 teaspoon of Meyer lemon zest.

Then you will just pulse until incorporated. Then press the dough into a 12 inch tart pan. You will have more dough then you need to bake as cookies or you can freeze for another tart. Now set aside.

For the filling place 6 egg yolks, 1/2 cup of sugar, 3 teaspoons of vanilla and five teaspoons of AP flour into a small bowl. Mix well with a whisk. Now heat up 2 cups of whole milk in a sauce pan. Just heat until scalding. Gradually add it to the egg mixture whisking all the time. Now place the mixture back into the sauce pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Now place a piece of plastic over  the mixture and refrigerate till very cold.
The pastry shell needs to be refrigerated too.
Now preheat the oven to 350 degrees and pour the chilled mixture into the pie shell. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of Pine Nuts and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.


Cool and then dust with a little powder sugar.

A toast to all with a little Vin Santo or Moscadello di Montalicino.