Austria - Linzer Torte

This is one I'll definitely be making again! So delicious. A perfect short and crumbly hazelnut pastry spiced with cinnamon, ginger and lemon. Filled with raspberry jam and topped with demerara sugar for that extra crunch

Ingredients

75g ground hazelnuts

200g plain flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger 

A few gratings of fresh nutmeg

25g icing sugar

150g unsalted butter, cold

1 lemon, zest

2 egg yolks 

2 tbsp cold water 

Filling:

400g raspberry jam

Milk, to brush

Demerara sugar, to top

Flaked almonds, to top 

Method

Grease and line a 23cm, loose bottom, tart tin with butter and a little flour. 

Place the hazelnuts, flour, spices, lemon, icing sugar and butter in a bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until you have a breadcrumb consistancy. Add in the yolks and cold water. Knead until you have a dough. Clingfilm and refridgerate for 30 minutes. 

Preheat your oven to 170C. Roll out two thirds of the dough on a floured surface and line the tart tin. Press the dough into the corners and trim the top. Freeze for 10 minutes. Prick the base with a fork and line with a large crumpled piece greaseproof and baking beans (or rice.) Blind bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is very lightly browned. Remove the beans and bake for another 5 minutes. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. 

Spread the jam in the tart. Roll the remaining third of Pastry a little larger than the top of the tart. Cut it into 9 strips. Lay 5 over the tart and lay the remaining 4 in the opposite direction, weaving in-between one another. Brush with milk and sprinkle over demerara sugar. Trim off aby overhanging pastry. Place any left over scrap pastry around the edge of the tart. Brush with milk and press in flaked almonds. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a deep golden brown. Leave to cool before serving.