Torta della nonna is a classic Italian dessert of shortcrust pastry, lemon custard, pine nuts, and icing sugar. The name translates to "Grandmother's cake" and inspired these zingy hamantaschen.

Method

• Prepare the pastry by mixing the butter, lemon zest, and sugar in a mixer with a paddle attachment until combined. Mix in the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Finally, add the pastry flours. Mix for a minute or two until the dough is malleable but not sticky. Form a disc, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
• Next prepare the custard: slowly bring the milk, cream, and lemon zest to a boil in a saucepan. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar, then add the 20g flour and stir until combined. Once the milk and cream have reached a boil, slowly pour them into the yolk mixture, stirring well with a hand whisk. Return the mixture to the saucepan over low heat and bring it to a gentle boil for one minute, stirring continuously until it thickens. Turn off the heat, transfer the custard to a shallow container, and cover with cling film that touches the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
• To make the hamantaschen: halve the chilled dough and rewrap one piece. Lightly dust your work surface with flour and roll out the first piece of dough to a thickness of 3mm (1⁄8in). Using a 7–8cm (3in) round cookie cutter, or the rim of a glass, cut out as many circles as possible.
• Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan).
• With a teaspoon or piping bag spoon or pipe a large hazelnut-sized amount of custard into the centre of each circle.
• To form the hamantaschen: take a circle and gently lift the edge facing you towards the centre, then turn the circle 90° anti clockwise and repeat the lifting of the side. Then repeat with the last edge to create a triangular pocket, leaving the custard exposed.
• Do this with all the remaining dough circles and repeat with the second piece of dough. Re-roll the offcuts to cut out more circles or make little biscuits. Place the hamantaschen on a baking parchment-lined baking tray.
• Top each hamantaschen with 3–4 pine kernels, and if desired, a light sprinkle of poppy seeds. Bake for 15 minutes and cool in a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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