Torta della nonna is a Tuscan dessert made of two layers of shortcrust pastry enclosing a thick layer of lemon-scented custard, topped with pine nuts and icing sugar. It is a covered tart, soft inside and crumbly at the edges, found in pastry shops and trattorias in Florence and across the region.
In this article you’ll find the torta della nonna recipe for a 26 cm tin, with quantities for the pastry and the custard, the order of work to manage the resting times, the oven temperature, the most common mistakes to avoid, the variations and how to store it.
Recipe card
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Preparation | 45 minutes |
| Cooking | 55 minutes (custard 10 minutes, oven 45 minutes) |
| Resting | 3 hours (1 hour for the pastry in the fridge while the custard cools; 2 hours for the tart after baking) |
| Total time | 4 hours 40 minutes |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Servings | 8 people (26 cm tin) |
| Category | Dessert |
| Cuisine | Tuscan |
| Cooking method | Baked |
Ingredients for 8 people
For the shortcrust pastry
- 300 g type 00 flour (or plain flour)
- 150 g cold butter
- 120 g caster sugar
- 1 whole egg and 1 yolk (about 75 g in total)
- Grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
- 1 pinch of fine salt
For the custard
- 500 ml whole milk
- 4 egg yolks (about 80 g)
- 120 g caster sugar
- 50 g type 00 flour (or plain flour)
- Peel of 1 unwaxed lemon, in strips
- Half a vanilla pod (optional)
To finish
- 50 g pine nuts
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten (about 30 g)
- Icing sugar, to taste
- Butter and flour for the tin, to taste
The custard. It is the heart of the dessert and must be thick: a runny custard soaks the bottom pastry and leaks during baking. With 50 g of flour for half a litre of milk you get a consistency that holds a clean slice. Lemon is the typical flavouring; vanilla is a common addition but not essential.
The pine nuts. They give the tart its recognisable look and a toasted note. Choose whole, pale pine nuts: they colour on the surface in the oven, so there is no need to toast them first.
How to make torta della nonna
- Make the pastry. In a bowl, quickly rub the flour with the cold diced butter using your fingertips until it looks like sand. Add the sugar, salt and lemon zest, then the egg and yolk. Knead only until it comes together: overworked dough becomes elastic and shrinks in the oven.
- Rest the pastry. Divide the dough into two pieces, about 2/3 for the base and 1/3 for the lid. Flatten them into discs, wrap them in cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Cook the custard. Heat the milk with the lemon peel and the split vanilla pod until it just comes to the boil, then turn off the heat. In a saucepan whisk the yolks with the sugar, add the sifted flour and pour in the strained milk in a thin stream, stirring. Return to a medium-low heat and cook for 3-4 minutes from the moment it starts to thicken, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the spoon and the first bubbles appear.
- Cool the custard. Transfer it to a cold dish, cover with cling film touching the surface and let it cool at room temperature, then in the fridge, while the pastry rests. It must be cold when you use it, otherwise it melts the butter in the base.
- Line the tin. Preheat a conventional oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Butter and flour a 26 cm tin, ideally with a removable base. Roll out the larger disc between two sheets of baking paper to about 4 mm thick and line the base and sides. Prick the base with a fork.
- Fill and cover. Whisk the cold custard to make it smooth again, pour it into the pastry case and level it. Roll out the second disc to about 3 mm, lay it over the custard and seal the edges by pressing with your fingers; trim off the excess. Make a small hole in the centre to let steam escape.
- Add the pine nuts. Brush the surface with the beaten egg white and scatter the pine nuts evenly, pressing them lightly so they stick.
- Bake. Bake on the lower-middle shelf at 180 °C (350 °F) for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the pine nuts are light brown. If the pine nuts darken too early, cover the tart with foil for the last 10-15 minutes.
- Let it cool. Leave the tart to cool in the tin for at least 2 hours: the custard sets and the slices hold their shape. Unmould, dust with icing sugar and serve.
History and tradition of torta della nonna
Torta della nonna, “grandmother’s tart”, is considered a Tuscan dessert, but its origin is debated. Florence and the Arezzo area both claim it, and sources do not agree on a precise date or place.
The most widespread account attributes it to a Florentine cook and restaurateur, Guido Samorini, who is said to have created it to refresh the dessert menu of his restaurant. The story is often repeated but not firmly documented. Despite a name that evokes home cooking, the tart seems more closely linked to restaurants than to a family recipe. The combination of shortcrust, custard and pine nuts is, in any case, shared by other, older Italian desserts.
Today torta della nonna is one of the most common desserts in Tuscan trattorias and a classic way to end Sunday lunch.
Practical tips
- Work the pastry cold. Butter and eggs should come straight from the fridge. If the dough warms up and turns sticky, chill it for 15 minutes before rolling.
- Roll between two sheets of baking paper. You avoid adding flour and can flip the disc into the tin without breaking it.
- Use well-chilled custard. Warm custard softens the base and leaves it damp after baking. You can make it the day before.
- Bake low in the oven. The base needs heat to cook under the custard: on the middle or lower-middle shelf you get a dry bottom and a top that doesn’t burn.
- Don’t slice it warm. Straight from the oven the custard is still soft and the slice collapses. Once cooled, it cuts cleanly.
Variations and storage
Variations
The best-known variation is torta del nonno, “grandfather’s tart”, with a cocoa or chocolate custard and almonds instead of pine nuts. Some versions add sour cherries or chocolate chips to the custard; others use flaked almonds alongside the pine nuts on top.
Many home recipes add a teaspoon of baking powder to the pastry, making it softer and more biscuit-like. There is also an open version, without the top disc, with the pine nuts placed directly on the custard: it is quicker, but the exposed custard tends to dry out.
Storage
Because it contains custard, torta della nonna should be kept in the fridge, under a cake dome or in a sealed container, for 2-3 days. Take it out 20-30 minutes before serving. It can be frozen in well-wrapped slices for about a month, although the pastry loses some crumbliness. Raw shortcrust pastry keeps for 2 days in the fridge or a month in the freezer.
Frequently asked questions about torta della nonna
Why does the custard leak out during baking?
Usually for three reasons: custard that is too runny, edges that are not properly sealed, or no steam hole. Cook the custard until thick, press the top disc firmly onto the base and always make a small hole in the centre.
Why is the base raw or soggy?
It happens when the custard is still warm at filling time or when the tart bakes too high in the oven. Use cold custard, prick the base and place the tin on the lower-middle shelf. A dark metal tin conducts heat better than glass or ceramic.
Can I make it the day before?
Yes. You can make the pastry and custard the day before and assemble the tart the next day, or bake it completely and keep it in the fridge. After a night the custard is firmer and the tart slices even better.
What is the difference between torta della nonna and torta del nonno?
The structure is the same, pastry and custard, but torta del nonno uses a cocoa or chocolate custard and an almond topping. Torta della nonna keeps the lemon custard and pine nuts.
More traditional Tuscan desserts
Other Tuscan desserts to make at home include almond cantucci, dry biscuits baked twice, and castagnaccio, made with chestnut flour and no added sugar. If you’d like to learn the doughs and basic techniques of Tuscan cooking, the cooking classes at Orto San Frediano in Florence are a good place to start.
