Caramel Walnut Torte

This gooey and delicious torte recipe explodes with fresh Italian walnuts! Italian walnuts are in their prime right now; tender and delicious. And it just so happens that we have a huge walnut tree growing right on our property. We pick some underripe walnuts in June to make nocino, an Italian liqueur usually served at Christmas. We pick the rest in early to mid fall to make this wonderful Caramel Walnut Torte, pasta & ravioli dishes and to eat on their own. Wild boar also love walnuts so if we don't pick them at just the right time they fall to the ground and the wild boar often get to them first! Fortunately at this time of year walnuts are also readily available at all the outdoor markets.

Caramel Walnut Torte

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

For the pastry:
Flour, 360 grams (12 ¾ ounces)
Cold butter, 250 grams (9 ounces)
2 egg yolks
Sugar, 50 grams (1 ¾ ounces)
Vanilla, ½ teaspoon
Cold water, 60 - 90 milliliters (4 - 6 tablespoons)
Pinch of salt
For the filling:
Sugar, 300 grams (10 ½ ounces)
Water, 240 milliliters (1 cup)
Cream, 240 milliliters (1 cup)
Butter, 225 grams (8 ounces)
Honey, 80 milliliters (⅓ cup)
Walnuts, 450 grams (16 ounces)

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Cooking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200 C° (400 F°)

For the filling:
Shell and halve the walnuts.

For the pastry:
In a food processor, process the flour, sugar and pinch of salt together.
Cube the cold butter, then pulse into the flour mixture until it's granular and sandy.

Pulse in the egg yolks and vanilla, and 60 milliliters of the water.
Pulse in the remaining water, as necessary, until the dough sticks together and forms a ball.

Roll out the dough into two 14 centimeter (5 ½ inch) rounds.

Roll one round out large enough to fit a 20 cm (8 inch) pie pan.
Use a thin plastic cutting sheet to lift the crust up and slide it into the pie pan.
Chill the second round.

For the filling:
Caramelize the sugar and water in a saucepan:
Place the sugar and water in a heavy bottomed saucepan.
Without stirring, allow the liquid to simmer on medium high until it turns a golden amber color. This will take about 15 minutes.
While the sugar and water is simmering, roll out the second round for the top crust and set aside.

When the caramel has changed color remove the pan from the heat and stir in the the butter...

then the cream...

and then the honey.

Return the pan to the heat and simmer over a low flame for 15 minutes, stirring regularly.
Turn off the heat and stir in the walnuts; the filling should be very thick.
Quickly pour the filling into the pastry.

Spread the filling evenly in the crust.

Cover the filling with the top crust, trim the edges of the crust, and cut vents into the pastry top.
Use the handle end of a dinner knife to press a design into the edge of the crust.

Bake 35 - 40 minutes or until golden.
If desired, serve topped with whipped cream.

I love fluted edged glass Pyrex pie pans and use them constantly, but for a special occasion when you want a beautiful presentation there's nothing more lovely than the Emile Henry Ruffled Pie Dish!