Torta della nonna - recipe (including photos)

 Ingredients for the dough:

• 400 grams of flour
• 200 grams of butter
• 100 grams of sugar
• 2 eggs
• the zest from half of a lemon
• salt
• pine kernels

Ingredients for the filling (crema pasticcera):

• 500 milliliters of milk
• 100 grams of sugar
• 40 grams of flour
• 4 egg yolks
• half of a vanilla stick
• salt

First make the filling!

Heat the milk together with the vanilla stick.

In another pan, mix the egg yolks with the sugar and the salt for a few minutes.

Add the flour and mix until well incorporated.

Pour the heated milk over the egg/flour composition and mix well.

Put the pan at slow fire mixing continuously until becomes thick like a pudding.

Let it cool!

Now, prepare the dough.

Mix the flour with the butter and the salt (at room temperature).

Add the eggs, the sugar and the zest of the lemon and mix until you obtain a non sticky dough.

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius!

Divide the dough in two equal parts.

Spread one part on the table and cover the pan bottom and walls with it.

Pour the filling and then on top put the other sheet of dough.

Roll the edges of the cake to look nicer.

Brush some milk above the cake and then add the pine kernels.

Put the cake in the oven for 40-50 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

Add some powdered sugar above and serve it to your love ones :).

Enjoy!

The original recipe can be found here