This is the Pie my mother prepared for me when I was a kid. It is really easy to make and it contains only few natural ingredients. This pie will be friable and you must be careful when you cut it because the pieces will easily broken. It is good have a piece in the afternoon with “caffelatte” during “merenda” time around four o’clock, when kids need some rest from their playing and running, and a good small meal, especially if you live in the country where the life is still going-on on its natural way.

 

 

Ingredients:

one pound (500 grams) of Flour (type “00”-wheat flour)

one glass of Brown Sugar

a quarter of glass of whole Milk

9 ounces (250 grams) of Butter

two Eggs – 1.5-2 ounces (50 grams) of Beer Yeast

a fist of Pine-Cones – a fist of dried Raisins

 

 

 

starts drown the Yeast in the warm Milk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

add a pinch of Sugar, to make faster the growing process leave for 10-15 minutes to grown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

at meantime warm up the butter so it melts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and wash the Raisins with fresh water, then leave in the fresh water to revive the Raisins a little bit (you could also use syrup or liquor but for the kids…I suggest only water!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

as it is ready add the Yeast to the Flour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mix well Yeast and Flour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

add the Sugar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and continue to mix

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

then add the Butter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and again mix everything make the dough homogeneous

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

then add the Eggs and mix again the Dough

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

shrink the Raisins so the water gush out

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

add the Raisins to the Dough

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mix again everything

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mix very well

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

if it become too soft and glue your fingers add some flour to make the Dough more dry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this Dough must become soft without be sticky, as it is ready put in the oven-pan and work it with your fingers to cover all the spaces

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

also to flat it even on top press it with your fingers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

then add the Pine-Cones: spread them on the top then push each one down the surface with your fingers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

press with kindness, do not “drill” the Dough with your fingers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

as you finish leave the Dough to rest for half-hour at least, cover with a clean dishcloth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

after that time put in the oven: cook at 480-500 Fahrenheit  (250 Celsius) for 35 minutes or 660-700 Fahrenheit (350 Celsius) for 30 minutes

I kindly remind you that the cooking time depends from various things: humidity, thickness of your oven-pan and also the thickness of your pie is important: please follow the time I indicated but always pay attention to your senses: as you notice a good smell of cake don’t exitate: open the oven and check! as your cake is ready the smell starts to turn to “burnt” smell, still good but you must be careful… do not make your pies too thick or you’ll experience difficulty to cook them properly. you can dig a toothpick in the cake if you’re not sure: as the toothpick exit dry it means that the cake is ready.

 

 

 

as you can see my “Torta Rustica” is perfectly cooked: it was fantastic!!!