Grandma’s almond tart is a delicious reinterpretation of the classic “torta della nonna” featuring a toasted almond shortcrust.
The origins of the “torta della nonna”, now a staple of Italian cuisine, are uncertain, contested between the Arezzo and Florence areas. The authentic recipe calls for a shortcrust pastry base filled with pastry cream, topped with pine nuts and powdered sugar — a delicate and simple delight!
Today I propose a slightly revisited version: the shortcrust is delicate and crumbly and scented by adding toasted almonds to the dough, while the lemon pastry cream is “light” and delicate, made with a single egg yet still delicious. You can also find this original tart recipe in our collection of Special tarts, where you’ll also find the famous Benevento tart and the equally famous Frangipane tart. If you love grandma-themed desserts, try also the Grandma’s cheesecake tart, the Grandma’s ice cream tart or the Grandma’s lemon roll tart.
Let’s go to the kitchen now, but before we roll up our sleeves, remember that if you want to stay updated on new recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Low cost
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 6/8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make Grandma’s almond tart
- 4 cups All-purpose flour
- 3.5 oz Almonds (freshly toasted and chopped)
- 1 1/4 cups Powdered sugar
- 1 egg (medium)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 1/8 cups Butter (soft)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract (or one packet)
- 2 cups Whole milk
- 1 egg (medium)
- 2/3 cup All-purpose flour
- 3/4 cups Granulated sugar (plus 1 tbsp (approx.))
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 Lemon zest (grated)
- as needed Milk
- as needed Sugar
- as needed Sliced almonds
- as needed Powdered sugar
Tools
- Bowls
- Pot
- Hand whisk
- Work surface
- Tart pan
- Rolling pin
- Oven
Preparation
To make the grandma’s tart with toasted almonds, dissolve the flour, sugar, egg and vanilla in a little milk. When the mixture is homogeneous, add the remaining milk.
Let thicken over the heat, stirring continuously with a whisk; turn off the heat and, off the stove, add the grated zest of one lemon. Transfer the cream to a glass bowl and let cool, covered with plastic wrap.
Move on to prepare the almond shortcrust: after weighing the ingredients,
toast the almonds in a pan until browned, let them cool and grind them in a food processor to reduce them to flour.
Gather the flour, sugar, ground almonds, eggs, soft butter, vanilla and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Start mixing in the bowl, then move to the work surface and
work quickly until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
It’s time to assemble the tart:
take the dough back, work it a few minutes to make it pliable and divide it in half. Flour the work surface and, with the rolling pin, roll out a circle of dough about 0.2 in (about 1/4 in) thick. Gently transfer it to the pan, prick with the tines of a fork and
fill with the pastry cream. Cover with another disk of shortcrust and remove the excess.
Brush with milk and sprinkle with pine nuts or sliced almonds.
Bake at 356°F for 30 minutes, during the last ten minutes, if needed, move the pan to the lower part of the oven to cook the bottom of the tart.
Remove from the oven, let cool slightly and dust with powdered sugar.
The tart is ready — good warm but especially excellent when served at room temperature after a few hours of resting.
Storage notes and tips
You can store the grandma’s almond shortcrust tart for 2-3 days in a cool, dry place or under a glass dome.
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