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Osterfladen
Semolina and almond Easter tart
Osterfladen: Basel's Easter tart of semolina custard, almonds and raisins
Osterfladen is the Easter tart of Basel and northern Switzerland, baked on Holy Saturday and eaten on Easter Sunday. A shortcrust case holds a creamy filling of semolina (or rice) cooked in milk, folded with ground almonds, raisins, lemon zest and whipped egg white, which bakes into a light, sliceable custard under a dusting of icing sugar. Some bakers soak the raisins in kirsch; here they are soaked in warm water, so it is alcohol-free. Chef's tip: fold the egg whites in gently and last, as they are what makes the filling light.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 7 oz plain flour
- 3 ½ oz cold butterdiced
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tbsp cold water
For the filling
- 2 cups milk
- 2 ⅞ oz semolina
- 3 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 oz butter
- 2 ⅛ oz ground almonds
- 1 ¾ oz raisinssoaked in warm water
- 1 lemonzest only
- 2 eggsseparated
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rub 3 ½ oz cold butter into 7 oz plain flour, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 pinch salt, add 3 tbsp cold water and press into a dough. Chill for 30 minutes, then roll and line a 26 cm tart tin. Chill again.
10 minStep 2: Bring 2 cups milk to the boil, whisk in 2 ⅞ oz semolina and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until thick. Stir in 3 ½ oz caster sugar and 1 oz butter and cool for 15 minutes.
5 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan). Beat the yolks from 2 eggs into the semolina, then stir in 2 ⅛ oz ground almonds, drained 1 ¾ oz raisins and 1 lemon.
Step 4: Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold them gently into the mixture until no white streaks remain.
Step 5: Pour into the pastry case and bake for 40–45 minutes, until the filling is puffed, golden and just set; a gentle shake should not make the centre ripple. A common mistake is overbaking, which cracks the top and dries the filling.
45 minStep 6: Cool completely. Before serving, lay a paper Easter-lamb or cross stencil on top and dust with 2 tbsp icing sugar.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does osterfladen take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of cold butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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Perfect for:Easter