Thousand Leaves Torte (Tusenbladstarta - Sweden)
This is a very dramatic and unusual dessert.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Pastry
- 3/4 cup butter or margarine
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
Applesauce Mixture
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup thick applesauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Sliced almonds (garnish)
Custard-Cream Filling
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
Instructions
- Cinnamon Pastry: Cut butter into flour, salt and cinnamon until particles are size of small peas.
- Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until al flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl, adding 1 to 2 teaspoon water if necessary.
- Gather pastry into a ball. Divide pastry into 6 equal parts. Roll each part into 7-inch circle on lightly floured cloth-covered board; place on ungreased cookie sheets.
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Prick circles with fork; sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon sugar.
- Bake until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Cool on wire racks.
- Custard-Cream Filling: Mix applesauce and lemon juice.
- Stack circles, spreading alternately with 1/3 cup applesauce mixture and 1/2 cup Custard-Cream Filling.
- Spread top layer with remaining filling.
- Garnish with almonds.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Custard Cream Filling: Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan.
- Stir in milk gradually.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute.
- Stir at least half of the hot mixture gradually into egg. Stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute.
- Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract.
- Cover and cool slightly; refrigerate until completely cooled.
- Beat whipping cream in chilled bowl until stiff; fold into cooled mixture.
Yield: 12 to 14 servings
