Description
This is the famous Austrian Linzer Torte, a simple but unbelievably tasty cake made with shortcrust pastry covered with generous amounts of redcurrant jam and topped with a lattice of the same pastry.
Ingredients
- 8-⅞ ounces, weight All-purpose Flour
- 8-⅞ ounces, weight Ground Almonds
- 8-⅞ ounces, weight Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Unsweetened Raw Cocoa Powder
- 1 pinch Cinnamon
- 8-⅞ ounces, weight Very Cold Butter
- 5 Egg Yolks, Divided
- 1 Tablespoon Cold Water
- 10-½ ounces, weight Redcurrant Jam
- 2 teaspoons Milk
Preparation
Place the flour, almonds, sugar, cocoa powder and cinnamon in the food processor and process briefly to mix everything together. Cut the cold butter into small pieces, add them to the flour mixture together with 4 egg yolks and 1 tablespoon cold water, and process until you have rough crumbs. Turn this mixture onto the working surface and knead until you have a smooth dough. Cover the pastry in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Butter and flour a 26 cm (10-inch) pie form, preferably one with a detachable bottom—it makes things easier in the end. Shake to remove the excess flour. Place the form in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 180ºC (360ºF).
Roll 2/3 of the pastry between two sheets of baking paper. The pastry should be rolled about 1 cm (0.4 inch) thick and a bit larger than the pie form. Remove the baking paper on top of the pastry and use the lower piece to turn the cake into the pie form. Remove the second piece of baking paper as well. Press the pastry into the form and remove the excess pastry hanging over the edges of the form.
Roll the rest of the pastry about 5 mm (0.2 inch) thick and either cut out stripes to form the lattice or cut out shapes using star cookie cutters of different sizes or shapes.
Stir the jam well and distribute it evenly on top of the pastry. Arrange the lattice or the stars on top.
Mix the remaining egg yolk and milk and brush the stars/lattice and the edges of the pie with this mixture.
Bake the cake for about 40 minutes, until the lattice/stars are golden brown. If you want to bake the extra cookies as well, bake them for about 10–15 minutes or until golden brown.
