A specialty of canton Graubünden's Engadine valley; the modern filled version was developed by baker Fausto Pult in 1926.
A buttery, biscuity crust shatters into a dense layer of toffee-dark caramel binding crunchy walnuts. It is intensely sweet and faintly bitter at the edges of the caramel, the nuts adding warmth and a satisfying snap.
Caramelizing the sugar before adding cream creates deep toffee flavor and a filling that sets firm as it cools, while the enclosing pastry keeps it moist and gives the tart its long keeping quality.
Variations
Versions with added honey, mixtures using other nuts, a splash of orange or lemon zest, smaller individual tartlets
On the Palate
Where Bündner Nusstorte (Engadine Nut Tart) sits in the Swiss flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 10
How it's made
8 steps · 40 min
- 115 min
Rub flour, sugar, butter, egg and salt into a smooth shortcrust dough and chill it.
- 28 min
Caramelize sugar in a dry pan until it turns a deep amber.
Watch outTake the dry sugar just to a deep amber — that toffee color is the tart's flavor; a shade too far and it scorches bitter, too pale and the filling stays flat.
- 33 min
Off the heat, carefully stir in warm cream and a little honey.
Watch outPull the pan off the heat before the warm cream goes in — it erupts and steams violently; adding it on the flame can seize the caramel into hard lumps.
- 45 min
Return to the heat briefly, then fold in coarsely chopped walnuts and let cool.
- 510 min
Roll out two-thirds of the dough and line a tart tin, pressing up the sides.
- 64 min
Spread the cooled walnut caramel evenly into the shell.
- 76 min
Roll the remaining dough into a lid, seal the edges and brush with egg.
- 840 min
Bake at 180°C for about 40 minutes until golden, then cool completely before slicing.
Watch outBake until the top is evenly golden, then cool it completely before cutting — the caramel only firms up as it sets; slice warm and the filling oozes out.
