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Torta de nozes
Walnut tart
Torta de nozes: Brazilian Christmas walnut tart with a buttery crust and condensed-milk caramel filling
BrazilianIn the South and in São Paulo, where Italian, German and Portuguese baking traditions meet, a walnut tart is a fixture of the Christmas dessert table, often brought by an aunt who has made it the same way for decades. A crisp, sweet shortcrust holds a filling of chopped walnuts set in condensed milk and eggs, which bakes into a soft, toffee-like caramel. It slices best the next day, so it is a good make-ahead for the busy 24th. Chef's tip: blind-bake the crust until it is properly golden, or the rich filling will leave the base soggy.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the crust
- 7 oz plain flour
- 3 ½ oz cold butterdiced
- 1 ¾ oz caster sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp cold water
For the filling
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 ⅜ oz buttermelted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 7 oz walnutsroughly chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rub the 3 ½ oz cold butter into the 7 oz plain flour, 1 ¾ oz caster sugar and 1 pinch salt with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the 1 egg yolk and 2 tbsp cold water and press into a dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
35 minStep 2: Roll the pastry out 3 mm thick and line a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Prick the base with a fork and chill for 15 minutes.
20 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 375°F. Line the pastry with baking paper and baking beans and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and bake 5 minutes more until pale golden and dry. Underbaking here is the common mistake that gives a soggy base.
20 minStep 4: Lower the oven to 350°F. Whisk the 14 oz sweetened condensed milk, 2 eggs, 1 ⅜ oz butter and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth, then stir in the 7 oz walnuts.
5 minStep 5: Pour the filling into the tart case and arrange the 12 walnut halves, to decorate on top. Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden, set at the edges, with only a slight wobble in the centre.
35 minStep 6: Leave to cool completely, at least 2 hours, before slicing, so the caramel firms up.
120 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does torta de nozes take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 55 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.
- 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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