Tuscan Pine Nut Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan.
• Combine the whole almonds and 1/4 cup pine nuts in a food processor. Pulse the machine until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the nuts to a medium bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer beat the eggs and the sugar until the mixture becomes thick and pale yellow. Add the butter, and milk. Stir in the almond extract and apricots. Gently stir in the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds and remaining 1/4 cup pine nuts. Bake until the cake is cooked and a toothpick comes out clean, about 50 to 55 minutes. Let the cake cool on a wire rack. Use a knife to loosen the edges. Turn the cake out, slice, and serve.

Steps:

• Combine the dough ingredients, mixing and kneading to form a smooth supple dough. Place the dough in a bowl, cover, and let it rise abouit 1 hour.
• For the nut and dried fruit fillling: mix 1 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped. 3/4 cup raisins, 3/4 cup golden raisins.
• Gently deflate the dough and knead in the nuts and fruit. Shape the dough into a flat ball, and place it in a 9-ionch round pan. Cover the pan and allow the loaf to rise for 30 minutes or till it barely crests over the top of the pan.
• Combine the sugar, vanilla, and water. Drizzle over the top of the risen bread. Bake the bread in a preheated 350-degree over for 35-45 minutes, until it's golden brown and the internal temperature registers 190 degrees. Remove it from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then carefully turn it out of the pan. Allow it to cool before cutting.Yield: 1 round loaf.

Steps:

• Toast the almonds under the grill / broiler until lightly browned; place in a bowl.
• Toast the hazelnuts until the skins split. Place on a dry tea towel and rub off the skins.
• Roughly chop the hazelnuts and add to the almonds with the mixed peel.
• Chop the apricots and pineapple fairly finely, add to the nuts with the orange rind; mix well.
• Sift the flour with the cocoa and cinnamon, add to the nut mixture and mix evenly.
• Line a round 8" cake tin or deep loose base flan tin with baking parchment.
• Put the sugar and honey into a saucepan; heat until the sugar dissolves, then boil gently for approximately 5 minutes or until mixture thickens & begins to turn a deeper shade of brown.
• Quickly add to the nut mixture and mix evenly. turn into the prepared tin & level the top using the back of a damp metal spoon.
• Cook in a preheated oven, 150°°C / 300F for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin until cold. Remove from the tin and carefully peel off the paper.
• Before serving, dredge the cake heavily with the icing sugar. Serve in very thin slices as this is an incredibly rich cake!