Torta Della Nonna

Ingredients

Custard

• 2,5 cups (590 ml) whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup (150 g) superfine sugar
• 1/4 cup (30 g) all purpose flour

Pastry

• 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (one lemon)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 140 g butter
• 1/2 (100 g) superfine sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon pinenuts

Directions

Start by making the pastry, while it rests in the fridge, make the filling.

Pastry

1. Rub butter pieces into flour, lemon zest, baking powder and salt until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in sugar then egg yolks, combine gently until a dough is formed.
2. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour.

Filling

1. Heat the milk and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan until it just comes to the boil. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. In a medium bowl, use a wire whisk to beat the egg yolks and sugar well until light and creamy. Stir in the flour.
3. With a whisk, gradually add in the warm milk. Whisk well so that no lumps form.
4. Strain the milk mixture back into the saucepan. Return to the heat and stir until it thickens. Boil for about a minute to cook the flour.
5. Remove from the heat and pour into a clean bowl covering with plastic wrap. Press the plastic onto the surface of the filling to prevent a skin forming. Set aside to cool completely.

Finalize

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC and grease a 10 inch/25cm tart pan with a removable base with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Soak pinenuts in a small bowl of water.
3. Divide the dough in two pieces, with one slightly larger.
4. Take the larger piece. Press it down to flatten and form a rough circle. Dust the pastry lightly with flour.
5. Roll out the larger piece between two pieces of non stick baking paper until large enough to fit the tart pan. If the pastry is sticking, dust with a little more flour.
6. Roll the pastry gently around the rolling pin. Lift and unroll into the pan. Pull up the pastry around the sides and encourage it to fall into the corners. Patch tears with excess pastry. Trim the edges level to the top of the pan.
7. Spoon the cool pastry cream into the base. Spread and level the filling.
8. Roll out the second piece of pastry as you did with the first and fit over the pastry cream, pressing the edges to seal and then trim off excess. Brush the top with water.
9. Drain the pine nuts and sprinkle over the torta.
10. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.
11. Allow to cool. Carefully remove torta from the pan and place on a serving plate. Dust with abundant powdered sugar.