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Linzer Torte
3 cups flour 3 cups sugar 1/2 lb. almonds, chopped very fine (leave peel on) 2 eggs, well beaten 1/2 teaspoon allspice a little citron Few grains salt 1 teaspoon vanilla Combine ingredients in order given and mix to a stiff dough. Take a little more than half, roll it out and line a pie pan. Put a thick layer of jam (strawberry or raspberry preferred) and cut rest of dough in strips, and cover the same as you would prune pie. Brush strips with yolk of egg and bake in a moderate oven. Serves six.
A short-crust lattice tart of the classic Linzer type, though the ingredient list as printed will not come together into the "stiff dough" the method calls for.
- The dough will not bind as listedAs printed there is no fat at all, and with only two eggs as moisture three cups of flour and three cups of sugar will stay a dry crumb rather than the "stiff dough" the method calls for. Linzer doughs are normally butter-rich; something in the region of half a pound of butter to this quantity of flour and nuts would be typical. Butter appears to have dropped out in printing — expect to supply it yourself, creamed with the sugar before the dry ingredients go in.
- Moderate ovenRead as 350F. A lattice tart of this depth needs roughly 40 to 50 minutes; the strips should be firm and lightly coloured and the jam bubbling at the edges.
- Almonds with the skins onThis is deliberate, not an oversight — unblanched almonds give the brown, slightly bitter crumb the torte is known for. Grind them fine but stop before they turn to paste, or the dough goes oily.
- CitronCandied citron peel, sold in the baking aisle near Christmas. Chop it very small; a tablespoon or two is what "a little" means here. Candied orange peel is an acceptable stand-in.
- AllspiceHalf a teaspoon in this volume of dough is restrained by Austrian standards, where cinnamon and clove usually appear as well. Add a half teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of ground clove if you want the more familiar spicing.
- The jam layerUse a thick, well-set preserve — redcurrant is the traditional choice, raspberry the common substitute. Thin or runny jam will boil through the lattice and weld the tart to the pan.
- "The same as you would prune pie"That is, a woven or simply crossed lattice of strips over the filling. Roll the strips on a floured board, and chill them briefly if the dough softens, as nut doughs do.
- Egg wash and yieldYolk alone, brushed thinly, gives the dark gloss. Serves six generously; the torte keeps several days and is generally considered better on the second.