Icelandic Torte Vinarterta Hnodud

Time

Ingredients

Ingredients

Torte

2-1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup firm butter
2 eggs

Berry Filling

3/4 cup homemade-style strawberry jam
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

Prune Filling

1-1/2 cup cooked and pureed prunes
3 tbsp. sugar
4 tbsp. butter

Frosting

1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and sugar. Slice the butter into the mixture and, with a pastry blender or finger tips, or with a hand mixer at low speed, mix until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Blend in the eggs and knead lightly to gather the dough. Divide into 4 parts.

Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or grease and flour the sheets. Draw four 8-inch rounds on the paper. Preheat oven to 400 F.

On a lightly floured board, roll each part of dough out to an 8-inch circle. Transfer onto a prepared baking sheet. Pierce all over with a fork.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. (You may need to bake the layers in shifts. If so, refrigerate the unbaked layers until ready to bake.) Remove from baking sheet and cool on racks.

FOR JAM-AND-BERRY TORTE, spread 3 of the layers with strawberry jam and cover jam with sliced fresh strawberries. Top with the fourth layer.

FOR THE PRUNE-FILLED TORTE, mix the pureed prunes, sugar, and butter until well blended. Spread 3 layers with the fill and cover with the fourth. Dust top of torte with powdered sugar.

Whip the cream and add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Pipe whipped cream onto sides and top of the torte.

Author's Comments

This torte is the traditional celebration cake of Iceland. The layers are cookielike and are sandwiched together with jam and berries or with pureed cooked prunes.

The Great Scandinavian Baking Book...Beatrice Ojakangas

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