Northern Italy’s Piedmont region is known for truffles, wine, and hazelnuts. You’ll see hazelnuts and hazelnut products everywhere. On a recent visit, we spent a night in a small bed and breakfast in Nieve, close to Barolo and Barbaresco, called L’Aromatario. Breakfast included local meats and cheese, fruit, baked apples, hardboiled eggs, toasted hazelnuts, and this fantastic Torta di Nocciole or hazelnut cake.
Torta di Nocciole is a local and traditional hazelnut cake served in Piedmont. The owner of the bed and breakfast was kind enough to share the recipe with us. You’ll need half a pack of Italian Levito, which you can find at Italian markets or online here.
- Beat the egg whites in a large bowl and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar.
- Mix together egg yolk mixture and melted butter, then the ground hazelnuts, then the flour, and Levito. The mixture will be very thick, resembling cookie dough.
- Gently combine together the yolk mixture and the egg whites.
- Bake in a 10 inch round pan for 350F for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean?
Serve the hazelnut cake for breakfast or garnish it with a dollop of whipped cream or creme fraiche and a dusting of powdered sugar for dessert.
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