Recipe
for :
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Grandma's
Cake - Torta della Nonna
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 Master
Chef Paul Mattison hails from upper New York
State. After listening to all his 'nonna' (who came
from Puglia in southern Italy) told him about Italian
cuisine he went to the prestigious Culinary Institute
of America to train as a chef.
Following
success as chef in a noted Aspen restaurant Paul moved
to Sarasota on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Here in ten
short years he took 'The Summerhouse Restaurant' from
near dereliction to being, not only one of Sarasota
and Florida's top spots but to also being named by the
Wine Spectator as being in the world’s top two
hundred restaurants.
More
recently he has opened his latest downtown Sarasota
meeting place Mattison's City Grille and more recently
Mattison's Steak House & Wine Bar on Longboat Key.
With experience gained from his TV cookery classes and
lessons at his home and around Florida his relaxed style
and charm is becoming legend. Since 1998 Paul has been
a regular traveller to Italy bringing a party of enthusiasts
on a cooking vacation to experience the real Italy.
For
more information visit www.mattisons.com
Ingredients
For
the crust:
5 cups (500g) unbleached all purpose flour
4 or 5 egg yolks
Grated zest of an orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
2 cups (200g) powdered sugar - the kind without cornstarch
in it
A pinch of salt
For
the filling:
12 ounces (300g) fresh ricotta
4 yolks
1 pint (500ml) whole milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (60g) flour
4/5 cup (180g) sugar
To
decorate it:
1 egg yolk
Handful of peeled blanched almonds or pine nuts
Confectioner's sugar
Method
It's
difficult to find it made with ricotta in bakeries,
because ricotta doesn't keep so well, but that's what
you'll find in an Italian home.
- Prepare
the dough by mixing the ingredients gently, without
handling them over much (a pastry blender will make
things easier), and chill the dough for an hour in
the refrigerator.
- In
the meantime, lightly whisk the yolks and the sugar,
then sift in the flour, mixing carefully to keep lumps
from forming, and then add the milk in a thin stream,
again stirring gently.
- Once
the mixture is smooth, gently heat it, while stirring
carefully, until it begins to thicken. Once it reaches
a very slow boil, count to 120 while stirring gently
and it is done; transfer it to a bowl, because it
will continue to cook in the pot, and let it cool
thoroughly.
- Preheat
your oven to 370°F (180°C).
- Roll
out the dough and use half of it to line a crostata
pan (a low-sided 10-inch pan).
-
Pour the ricotta mixture into the middle of the pan,
forming a mound, and cover it with the remaining half
of the dough, tamping the edges down firmly to seal
them.
- Whisk
the remaining egg yolk, brush it over the top of the
torta, and scatter the nuts over it.
- Bake
the torta for an hour, let it cool, dust it with confectioner's
sugar, and serve.
Master
Chef Paul Mattison
www.mattisons.com
©
Chef Paul Mattison Recipe
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