Genoese Pastry (Torta di Genovese)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sifted granulated sugar
• 1 cup sifted pastry flour
• 1/2 cup blanched almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Orange flower water
• Apricot jam
• 4 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Confectioner's sugar

Method

1. 1

   Cream butter, add sugar and beat until creamy; pound almonds with a little orange flower water to a paste and add to creamed mixture.

2. 2

   Add 2 egg whites, one at a time, and egg yolks separately.

3. 3

   Stir flour in gradually and add vanilla.

4. 4

   Line rim of a pie tin with a border of rich puff paste, pour in mixture, and bake in moderate oven (350°F).

5. 5

   Remove when done and spread a layer of apricot jam on top.

6. 6

   Make an icing with remaining egg whites, lemon juice, and enough confectioner's sugar to thicken to the consistency of butter.

7. 7

   Spread over pie.

8. 8

   Serve cold.

As published

This recipe was extracted from The European cookbook for American homes (from Italy, Spain, Portugal and France) (1936) by Brown, Cora Lovisa Brackett Mrs., page 32. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

/i cup blanched almonds, cut 2 tablespoons butter fine 6 eggs 4 drops almond extract }4 cup granulated sugar 2 ounces seedless raisins Cook farina with milk in double boiler until thick, add butter and cool. Beat egg yolks with sugar and salt and mix into farina when cold; add almonds, extract and raisins, and mix well. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold in. Put in a buttered pudding dish and bake 40 to 45 minutes in a moderate oven (35o°F.). Dust with powdered sugar and serve with cream of wine sauce. CORN MEAL SOUFFLE (Soufflet di Farina) 3 cups milk lA cup granulated sugar l/2 cup butter Grated rind of 1 lemon 14 teaspoon salt 8 egg yolks 1 cup corn meal 8 egg whites Marmalade 74 THE EUROPEAN COOKBOOK Scald milk with tablespoon of the butter and the salt. Stir in corn meal very slowly and cook to a smooth thick paste. Remove from heat and cool. Cream remaining butter with sugar, add grated lemon rind. Beat in egg yolks thoroughly, add cooled paste. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into mixture. Put a 2-inch layer of the mixture into a buttered pudding dish, spread marmalade over it and continue to alternate, having top layer of mixture. Serve with Marsala wine sauce. SWEET PASTIES (Dolce Ravioli) i% cups pastry flour i egg white 1Y2 tablespoons butter 2 egg yolks \l/z tablespoons lard 2 tablespoons granulated sugar Water l/2 teaspoon vanilla l/z pound cottage cheese or milk Powdered sugar curd Mix first 4 ingredients to a stiff dough and roll out thin. Combine remaining ingredients and put by teaspoonfuls on 1 side of pastry, about 2 inches from edge and 2 inches apart. Fold over edge to cover piles. Cut into squares with mixture in the center of each square. Seal edges securely. Fry in hot fat to a golden brown. Serve with powdered sugar. CHESTNUT FRITTERS (Fritella di Castagnd) 1 cup chestnuts, shelled and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar peeled % teaspoon vanilla 1 cup milk 3 egg yolks J4 teaspoon salt l/2 cup sifted bread crumbs 1 tablespoon butter Powdered sugar Add chestnuts to salted milk and simmer until tender. Drain and mash through a sieve. Add butter, sugar, vanilla ITALIAN 75 and 2 of the egg yolks. Mix well and cool. Take a spoonful at a time, roll into balls and dip in remaining egg yolk which has been beaten. Dip in crumbs and fry in hot fat. Drain, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve hot. CORNMEAL FRITTERS (Fritelle di Polenta) i cup milk i tablespoon butter i tablespoon granulated sugar i egg yolk Few grains salt i teaspoon grated lemon rind Y2 cup cornmeal i egg, well beaten % cup sifted bread crumbs Put milk, sugar and salt into double boiler and bring to a boil. Add cornmeal slowly, constantly stirring; then let it boil gently 20 minutes. Remove, and stir in the butter, egg yolk, and lemon rind. Turn mixture on to a dampened board and spread about Vz-mch thick. Cool, cut into rounds or squares, dip in beaten egg, and then into bread crumbs, and cook in deep hot fat. Drain, sprinkle with sugar and serve hot. CHERRY FRITTERS 1% cups flour 1 egg, well beaten Y4 teaspoon salt Fresh cherries 1 tablespoon granulated sugar Sweet butter 2 teaspoons baking powder Powdered sugar % cup milk Cinnamon Sift flour with salt, sugar and baking powder. Add milk gradually, stir to a smooth batter and add beaten egg. Select big cherries with stems, tie in small bunches at stem ends. Put a few bunches into a frying pan with enough sweet butter to fry them and drop a small amount of the batter around them. When the batter is set and nicely brown, remove fritters to a hot plate. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon; serve hot. j6 THE EUROPEAN COOKBOOK PINE NUT TARTS {Torta col Pinoli) % teaspoon salt % cup granulated sugar i small stick cinnamon i tablespoon butter i quart milk 2 eggs, well beaten V2 cup white corn meal Pastry dough Yz cup pine nut meats 1 egg yolk Powdered sugar Combine salt, cinnamon and milk in top part of double boiler, bring to a boil and stir in corn meal slowly. Cook 2l/2 hours. Blanch pine nuts and chop coarsely. Remove cinnamon from corn meal, stir in sugar, butter, nuts and eggs. Butter a shallow pie tin (not over 1 inch deep) and line it with thinly rolled pastry. Brush with beaten egg yolk. Bake in a moderate oven (350°F.) until brown. Dust with powdered sugar and serve cold. PASTRY DOUGH Mix to a soft dough, but firm enough to roll out well, il/2 cups pastry flour, % CUP butter, % cup sugar, and 1 egg. Add Marsala wine if more liquid is required. GENOESE PASTRY (Torta di Genovese) Y* cup butter 2 egg yolks Y2 cup sifted granulated sugar 1 cup sifted pastry flour Y2 cup blanched almonds l/2 teaspoon vanilla Orange flower water Apricot jam 4 egg whites 1 teaspoon lemon juice Confectioner's sugar

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