Torta de la Nonna (Grandmother's Cake)

I was at a holiday luncheon the other day at Tuscany Restaurant in Carlsbad. The meal was delicious. I was sitting with several Italian friends who all thought the food was excellent. When dessert came I said, "I think this is torta de la nonna," to which they all replied, "What's that?" I was surprised that all of these great cooks had not heard of torta de la nonna. I often see it on Italian menus, and it is found in Italian bakeries. Of course there are many different versions of this dessert because every grandma adds her own touch to the recipe. Basically it's a Tuscan and Roman classic which looks like a custard tart. It has a pastry bottom, custard filling, and is topped with powdered sugar and pine nuts. Here is the recipe for anyone who has some time and would like to try this classic dessert.

Torta de la Nonna (Grandmother's Cake)


Ingredients

250 grams butter (about 9 oz)
320 grams flour (11 oz)
14 eggs
340 grams sugar (120 oz)
1 liter milk (about 1 quart)
10 grams pine nuts (about 1-2 tbps)
30 grams raisins (3-4 tbsp)
30 grams powder sugar (3-4 tbsp)
Directions
How to make the pie dough (pasta frolla)

In a bowl knead the butter quickly with 140 grams of the sugar
and 1 whole egg.
Add 250 grams of flour and knead the compound again.
Let the pasta frolla rest in the refrigerator for about 4 hours.

How to make the custard
Heat the milk to its boiling point.
Separate the yolks from the
egg whites and place in two bowls.
Beat 12 yolks with the remaining
flour and the sugar.
Add the warm milk slowly to the yolk/flour/sugar
mixture stirring continually with a whisk until the cream becomes quite
fluid. Then place aside to let cool.

Baking
Take the pasta frolla out of the fridge and work it again with your
hands or a rollin pin on a pre-floured surface. Stretch 3/5 of the
pasta frolla inside a round pie dish.
Fill the dish with the custard
and sprinkle raisins and pine nuts over the top.
Stretch out the
remaining pasta frolla and then cover the custard filling. Press
the edges of the 2 doughs together with your hands.
Beat an egg and
spread on top of the pie dough with a small brush.
Bake in a pre-heated
oven at 180 C for 40 minutes.

Serve the cake on a plate with powder sugar.

Serves 10.