Looking for the best recipe of a Torta Della Nonna dessert? Look no further! We've got the best version of this classic recipe!
Eating gramma’s (or nonna if your family is Italian) food every time you go over to her house is always a great time had by all. While helping your gramma prepare a meal for your family, she asks you to make a dessert that is fantastico. The famous and simple cake, Torta Della Nonna, is a great choice for making dessert.
So how do you make a Torta Della Nonna dessert? What are its origins and how it is made? If you want to find out how to make one that will impress your gramma or nonna, then keep reading.
Origin of the Torta Della Nonna
Torta Della Nonna, meaning “Grandma’s Cake“, comes from the Umbrian and Tuscan regions of Italy, where it is a very popular dessert that is traditionally made at Easter, though it can be enjoyed all year long.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t actually made by an Italian nonna! It actually was developed in the twentieth century by restauranteur Guido Samorini after he got criticized for the number of tarts he offered in his restaurant. Taking up a challenge, he came up with the idea for the torta that is beloved today.
As for the name? That’s still a matter of speculation, though the image of grammar working in her kitchen all day can easily be associated with this cake. The idea may not have been homemade, yet Italians around the country loved it enough to start making Torta Della Nonna at home.
Many Italian families enjoy it and find it easy to make. There are different versions of this dessert depending on the location it is made. If you make the version traditional to Rome in Naples and vice versa, you’ll have your gramma yelling “mamma mia” at you.
All in all, what better way is there to honor your gramma than to make a cake literally named for her?
What Do You Need For Torta Della Nonna?
So what are the ingredients that will help this dessert become a success? Here are some of the ingredients you will need.
- Butter
- Cornstarch
- Sugar
- Lemon zest
- Lemon peel
- Pine nuts
- Eggs
- Milk
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- All-purpose flour
With all of these ingredients together, you will make a delicious Torta Della Nonna when it comes out of the oven.
Making the Pastry
The kind of flour used for pastry within a Torta Della Nonna is an all-purpose flour combined with other dry ingredients like baking powder, and sugar along with egg yolks. One thing that does set the pastry for Torta Della Nonna apart is putting grated lemon zest while the pastry gets formed.
What combining these ingredients does is create a shortcrust pastry that will hold the custard filling inside the torta. A shortcrust pastry is one of the best pastries to use for any kind of savory or sweet pie. It can be made either by hand or through a food processor.
Filling for the Dessert
The filling that you put inside the shortcrust pastry for the Torta Della Nonna is a custard. A custard for this dessert is typically made with eggs, milk, sugar, cornstarch, and a lemon peel.
First, warm the milk in a saucepan. Then, combine the egg yolks and sugar until mixed where you can then place the cornstarch. After that, mix that with the milk inside the saucepan and stir under medium heat until thick.
Once that is done, you place the custard into a bowl, put plastic wrap over it, and let it cool.
Baking the Torta Della Nonna
Now the fun part of baking begins.
Get a ten-inch pan, grease it with butter, and roll out your pastry until it is a quarter-inch thin. Then, place the pastry inside that pan and tuck in all sides so it fits easily. Once that is complete, poke the bottom of the pastry with a fork and place back in the fridge for half an hour.
During that time, soak your pine nuts for a few minutes. When the cooled pastry comes out, fill it to the top with the custard cream you made and scatter the pine nuts. Bake in the oven at 375F for 45 minutes until it is golden brown.
How to Serve It
Once it is out of the oven, it will be smelling like heaven worthy of the Sistine Chapel. So how do you serve it after the baking is over?
Because of the custard inside of it, you should let it cool down first. After that, you remove it from the case and place it on a rack. Then, decorate the torta with icing sugar that is sprinkled over the top.
Serve it once cooled or place it in the fridge until ready to serve. You can also save the torta for a couple of days in the fridge
Make a Torta Della Nonna Dessert for Your Gramma
A Torta Della Nonna dessert is an Italian delight that has won over a whole country — let it wow your dinner table too! Honor your gramma or nonna today by baking this for the next time you have a meal with her. You will certainly receive many kisses on the cheek for doing so.
We offer baking tips and recipes that will wow guests at the table and your stomach. Your desserts will end up as a case of food porn. Find more recipes today in the Baking & Dessert section on our site now.
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