Vegan Pastry Academy
Torta della Nonna

Torta della Nonna

Free
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Time: 45 min (plus resting and baking time about 4 h)
  • Quantity: 12 people (ร˜28 cm pan)
  • Type: Baked Tarts
  • Dietary requirements: Nut-free Cream-free Vegan

Categories

All_year_round

Ingredients

ORANGE OIL SHORTCRUST
300 g powdered sugar
5 g salt
716 g all-purpose flour
8 g baking powder
180 g seed oil
200 g plant-based milk
Zest of 2 oranges
VANILLA CREAM
500 g plant-based milk
70 g seed oil
1 vanilla pod
75 g cane sugar (Demerara)
40 g potato starch
10 g rice starch
6 g lecithin
30 g pine nuts for decoration*
Grandma's cake in Italy is a great classic, it's actually not a cake but a tart, a tart made of two layers of shortcrust pastry filled with a delicious cream. After baking the shortcrust will be very soft and crumbly, perfect for slicing, and the vanilla custard creamy. A cake that melts in the mouth.

Method

1 Photo 1 โ€” step 1
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3 Photo 3 โ€” step 1
Prepare the shortcrust. This recipe can be made in a stand mixer with the paddle or by hand in a bowl with a spatula. In a large bowl weigh all the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and also the orange zest. Separately weigh the oil and milk.
4 Photo 4 โ€” step 2
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Mix the dry ingredients with a whisk; if there are lumps it is best to sift. Then pour the milk and oil into the main bowl and initially mix with a spatula.
7 Photo 7 โ€” step 3
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Transfer to the work surface and knead by hand until a homogeneous dough ball forms.
10 Photo 10 โ€” step 4
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Wrap in cling film, flatten the shortcrust so it will be easier to roll out later. Wrap well and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before using.
13 Photo 13 โ€” step 5
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Prepare the cream. In a saucepan weigh the milk and oil. Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and with the tip of a knife scrape out the seeds by running the blade along the pod. Add the seeds to the saucepan. In a bowl weigh all the other ingredients: sugar, potato starch, rice starch and lecithin.
16 Photo 16 โ€” step 6
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Mix with a whisk then pour into the saucepan and blend with an immersion blender to remove all lumps. Place the saucepan on the induction hob at low power, or on low heat on the stove.
19 Photo 19 โ€” step 7
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Cook the cream, stirring constantly with a whisk until it thickens, about 83หšC. Then transfer to a bowl, cover with cling film directly on the surface so it doesn't form a skin and let rest in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
22 Photo 22 โ€” step 8
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After the shortcrust has rested take it from the fridge and divide it in half. Sprinkle a little flour on the work surface and roll out the first portion of shortcrust to a thickness of about 2-3 mm; it should be larger than the pan size. When rolling out the shortcrust occasionally add a little flour on top and underneath so it doesn't stick.
25 Photo 25 โ€” step 9
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Lift the shortcrust with both hands, or roll it around the rolling pin, and transfer it over the tart pan. Line the pan well, pressing the shortcrust into the corners and on the rim; remove excess dough with a knife. Return to the fridge. Depending on your type of pan, you know it, decide whether it is necessary to butter and flour the pan to release the baked shortcrust or if (as in my case) it is not needed.
28 Photo 28 โ€” step 10
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Now roll out the second portion of dough in the same way. Place the pan over the rolled dough and cut out a disc slightly larger than the pan. Insert a sheet of baking paper under this disc and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes. Put the lined pan back in the fridge.
31 Photo 31 โ€” step 11
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Preheat the oven to 170หšC fan. Prepare a 28 cm diameter tart pan. After 10 minutes take the cream from the fridge and mix a little with a spatula. Also take the lined pan and fill it with all the cream.
34 Photo 34 โ€” step 12
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Level it with a small spatula. Then take the dough from the freezer and position it over the cream, pressing lightly so there are no large air pockets. Press well on the edges to remove excess dough and to seal it well to the dough on the rim. The edges must be well joined to the top dough otherwise the cream will leak during baking.
37 Photo 37 โ€” step 13
38 Photo 38 โ€” step 13
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Brush with a little plant-based milk or a drizzle of plant-based cream diluted with a little water, prick lightly with a knife here and there to allow steam to escape during baking. Finish the surface with pine nuts (or other nuts). Bake at 170หšC fan for about 45 minutes. When it is well golden remove the pan.
40 Photo 40 โ€” step 14
41 Photo 41 โ€” step 14
Cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour then remove the tart, place it on a tray and dust with a little powdered sugar.

Storage

Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It is possible to freeze the shortcrust wrapped in cling film for up to one month, thaw it overnight in the fridge and then roll it out. The cream cannot be frozen.

Tips

*you just need to remove the pine nuts to make it nutfree. It is recommended to use a perforated tart pan for more even baking and a removable bottom to better extract the baked tart. You can flavor the shortcrust and cream as you prefer. What is the purpose of lecithin in the cream? in this case to bind the milk with the oil, so the liquid with the fat, otherwise it separates. I recommend not changing the starches and flours for a perfect result. It is recommended to read these articles: - which ingredients to use - where to buy pastry ingredients and products

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