Large 12×16-inch hazelnut cream tart is perfect. Delicious for breakfast, snack, after lunch, after dinner, basically anytime!

Large and tasty, it suits many occasions and is always appreciated by both adults and children.

Today we tackle the rectangular tart, the most convenient and simple of all. Common and always appreciated, it can easily be cut into squares and becomes a great finger food for any meal or birthday party.

And then, we all know, children prefer simple sweets, easy to eat, so they can return to play a minute after devouring the treat.

Worried that the hazelnut cream will dry out too much during baking? No worries: with a little secret, you can solve this problem. Read how to do it in the recipe procedure.

Just follow the basic preparation of the soft shortcrust pastry, which spreads easily and once baked is crumbly to the bite, does not crack and does not break, perfectly embracing the hazelnut cream filling!

A delicate and crunchy shortcrust shell, made with butter, precisely to give it that extreme crumble combined with crunchiness.

Here’s what you need to pay attention to: preferably use type 00 white flour.

The butter must be cold from the fridge, to prevent it from melting during mixing.

The eggs should be kept at room temperature for a couple of hours; if too cold, they do not amalgamate well with the rest of the dough.

Watch out for the amount of sugar, if it’s too much, the shortcrust pastry tends to crumble and becomes dark when baking.

If you want to obtain a softer shortcrust, also add 1 teaspoon of sifted baking powder.

Finally, times are crucial: work the dough quickly, otherwise it becomes elastic and retracts during baking; it’s important to let it rest in the refrigerator (in the least cold part) for at least 30 minutes.

Very easy and quick to prepare and also to finish! Let’s go to the kitchen and see how to make it.

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Medium
Rest time: 1 Hour
Preparation time: 20 Minutes
Portions: 30/33 slices
Cooking methods: Stovetop, Electric oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All seasons

Ingredients

6 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
10 1/2 oz butter (or 1 cup vegetable oil)
3 eggs (whole)
1 packet baking powder
1 lemon (zest of one lemon)
salt (a pinch)
1 quart glass milk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (or cornstarch)
4 eggs (whole)
1/2 cup sugar
600 g Nutella®
1 packet vanillin
powdered sugar (for dusting)

Tools

Baking pan
Food scales
Bowl
Parchment paper
Rolling pin
Small pot
Pastry board
Whisk

Steps for the Large Rectangular Tart

First, make the custard because it needs to cool down.
Boil the milk.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix whole eggs and sugar, then add flour and mix with a whisk until the mixture is smooth.
Add a packet of vanillin and mix.
As soon as the milk reaches a boil, pour it into the bowl.
Mix well to dissolve everything.
Pour it now into a clean pot with a double bottom, put it on the heat.
Stir constantly during cooking to prevent sticking to the bottom or burning.
Once it boils, cook for another 2 minutes.
Transfer the cream into a bowl and let it cool.
Once the cream has cooled, add the Nutella.
Mix well and place plastic wrap in contact with the cream.
Place the flour and baking powder in a bowl along with the butter in pieces and the zest of half a lemon.
(Cold butter from the fridge).
Start creating fine crumbs with your hands, then add the sugar, continuing to work it all.
Break the eggs, also add the salt.
(Eggs at room temperature).
At this point, transfer the dough to the work surface and handle it briefly just enough to compact it.
A small but important tip: once compacted, do not handle it further as it should not warm up.
At this point, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to firm up for about 30 minutes.
After this time, take the pastry out of the fridge, divide it into two parts: roll out one part (with your fingers or with a rolling pin) in the tart pan lined with parchment paper or buttered and floured.
(Rectangular pan 12×16 inches).
Use a fork to prick the bottom.
Once this is done, spread a generous layer of the Nutella cream prepared earlier and cooled.
Cover with the remaining shortcrust pastry, creating the classic lattice or let your creativity flow for the decoration.
Bake the tart at 350°F in a convection oven for about 30-35 minutes or until slightly golden.
Baking times can vary significantly from oven to oven, so my advice is to check the baking from time to time.
Tip: If you see that the hazelnut cream tends to dry out too much, prepare a sheet of parchment paper and place it on top, then cover with a sheet of aluminum foil. Never place aluminum directly on food.
Allow it to cool completely before transferring it to a platter, otherwise it will break.
Ready to be served with a dusting of powdered sugar if you like.
Enjoy your meal.