Austrian Linzer Torte (Spiced Nut Lattice Tart)

About This Recipe

Austrian Linzer Torte is a real, traditional Austrian dish, known as Spiced Nut Lattice Tart. A crumbly, spiced ground-almond and hazelnut pastry shell filled with tart red currant jam and topped with a lattice crust.\n\nLinzer Torte, named after the Austrian city of Linz, is often cited as one of the oldest known cake recipes in the world, with references to a similar dish appearing in a handwritten cookbook dated 1653.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Austrian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 10

• 200 gall-purpose flour
• 150 gground hazelnuts or almonds
• 150 gbutter(cold, cubed)
• 100 gsugar
• 1egg
• 1egg yolk
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 0.25 tspground cloves
• 0.25 tspfine sea salt
• 1 tsplemon zest
• 300 gred currant jam or raspberry jam
• 1egg(beaten, for egg wash)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Combine flour, ground hazelnuts, cold butter, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, salt and lemon zest, working the butter in until coarse crumbs form.

2. 2

   Bind the dough

   Add the egg and egg yolk, mixing just until the dough comes together. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

3. 3

   Line the tart pan

   Press about two-thirds of the chilled dough into a tart pan, forming an even base and sides.

4. 4

   Fill

   Spread the red currant jam evenly over the dough base.

5. 5

   Make the lattice

   Roll the remaining dough into strips and arrange in a lattice pattern over the jam, pressing the ends to seal against the edge.

6. 6

   Bake

   Brush the lattice with beaten egg and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 35 to 40 minutes until deeply golden. Cool completely before slicing.

Variations

• •

  Use raspberry jam instead of red currant for a slightly sweeter, more widely available version.

• •

  Add a splash of rum to the dough for extra depth, a traditional variation in some Austrian households.

• •

  Some bakers add a thin layer of ground nuts beneath the jam for extra texture.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions