Eat to the Beat IV: Maria's Linzertorte

For this installment of Eat to the Beat, hosted by Elly from Elly Says Opa! rather than go with a particular song I chose to celebrate the music from The Sound of Music, the broadway show and infamous film that stars Julie Andrews and is based loosely on the life of the von Trapp Family Singers.

Truth be told, while I occasionally find myself humming some of the more notable tunes from The Sound of Music score, I have only seen the movie in it's entirety on one occasion. My affinity towards the von Trapp family stems from my personal experiences visiting their (now) resort in rural Vermont. A few hours drive from where I grew up, my family frequented this resort annually for weekend and holiday getaways and while the views at 'Trapp'(as my family endearingly refers to the resort) are second to none, it is also the food that keeps us coming back. In particular the desserts- with the rising star of all sugary selections being the traditional Linzertorte.

Trapp makes no bones about sharing the secrets to their delectable version and while years ago we asked for (and were given) the recipe in their dining room, it is now published openly on their website. As a surprise to my dad for Christmas, I decided to try my hand at making Trapp's version. To be honest, I knew it would be good, but doubted it would rise to the palatable level of the 'real' Linzertorte served at Trapp Family Lodge. Let me tell you, it did. This tasted exactly like the Linzertore served nightly in the dining room. I won't say mine came out as pretty, but the flavors were just perfect! Rich and decadent, the crust is made of crushed walnuts and spices which are complimented by the currant and raspberry preserves. Topping the whole thing with slivered almonds is key and provides a nice crunch. My one caution with this recipe is that the dough makes a lot. Since I was traveling with this, I ended up making the entire thing in a 9 x 13 pan as opposed to two 8 inch rounds and the crust was thick. My family are crust people though so we were fine with that, but for those who prefer a more balanced crust/filling ratio you may want to increase the filling amount.

In any case, if you like Linzertorte you MUST try this recipe. It is fabulous. And in fact, once you try your own hand at it, I recommend sampling the 'real' deal at Trapp Family Lodge- you will love it.

1 1/2 Cups Butter
1 Egg
3 Rounded Cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 Cup Currant Jelly
1/4 Cup Almonds, Sliced
1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 Cups Walnuts - Ground
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Cloves
1/2 Cup Raspberry Jam
Confectioner's Sugar



Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Flour and grease two 8 inch pans.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light (either by hand, with a mixer or a food processor).

Add egg, walnuts, flour and spices. Mix into a dough and then roll into a ball. Divide dough into quarters.


Press a quarter of the dough into the bottom of each cake pan.

Cut one of the remaining quarters in half and press each half up the sides of both pans. Cut the remaining quarter of dough into 12 pieces and set aside.


Mix the currant jelly and the jam together. Spread half of the mixture into each of the walnut crust shells.


Roll out the remaining dough into round strips and crisscross on top of the jam mixture-three pieces each way.


Press the side crust down to connect with the strips. Sprinkle the top of your torte with almonds and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and the jam mixture bubbles.


Cool, remove from pans, then sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.


Linzertorte is best served at room temperature. If you wish to prepare well in advance of serving, this torte freezes very well.

Source: Trapp Family Lodge