Tuorta da Nuschs

The Tuorta da Nuschs, or Engadiner Nusstorte as it is known in German, is a caramelly, walnut filled tart from the canton of Graubünden.

It's one of Graubünden's most popular cakes and, due to its long shelf life, it's often bought by tourists and brought home with them.

But walnut trees are not native to Graubünden, so how did this cake become a regional classic?

The history of the cake is linked to the Engadiner Zuckerbäcker. These were young bakers who fled poverty and military service in Graubünden to work in restaurants, cafés, and bakeries throughout Europe. From the late middle ages onward, the Zuckerbäcker made a name for themselves as hard and thrifty workers, and for Swiss quality in general. They opened bakeries and cafés as far afield as Madrid and St Petersburg. With their successes abroad, they were able to send money back to their valleys and support their families and the communities they had left behind.

It was from these wandering bakers that the Tuorta da Nuschs originated. Although there are conflicting accounts, the most likely origin story is that the recipe was developed in the south of France, then brought back home by Zuckerbäcker from the Engadine valley (with some walnut trees in tow).

Some of my family lives in Eastern Switzerland, and no trip to Chur is complete without a stop at Cafe Merz to pick up a Nusstorte (the second best Nusstorte in Switzerland, according to Kassensturz), but if you can't make it all the way to Graubünden, you can make your own Tuorta da Nuschs at home.

Dough

300 g flour

pinch salt

100 g sugar

150 g butter, cold

1 egg

1 tbsp water

Filling

200 ml cream

100 g honey

250 g sugar

pinch of salt

300 g walnuts, chopped

½ tsp salt

Eggwash

1 egg or egg yolk

Dough:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the cold butter in pieces and rub into the flour mixture with your fingers until it is sandy.

In a separate dish, whisk the egg with water, then add this to the flour and stir lightly until you have a dough. Don’t overwork the dough or it will become tough. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap with plastic, and let cool in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, make the filling:

In a small pot, warm the cream and honey. In a large pot, caramelise the sugar until it reaches a golden brown. Add the warm cream (watch out, it may splutter), and stir over low heat until it is all melted together. Stir in the walnuts and salt, then let cool.

When you are ready to roll:

Preheat your oven to 200° C / 400° F / gas mark 6.

Roll out your dough and line a 26 cm (10 inch) springform pan, using about two thirds for the base and sides and the rest to form the lid. Fill with the cooled nut mixture. Lay the lid on top and press it around the edge so it is sealed, then prick it all over with a fork.

Brush the top with the whisked egg or yolk.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.