Bündner Nusstorte
Bündner Nusstorte is the emblematic pastry specialty of the canton of Grisons in eastern Switzerland, a dense, richly flavoured recipe developed to withstand the long journeys of smugglers and traders crossing the mountains into Italy in past centuries. The name comes from the Swiss word for walnut and from the canton's name, where the tart is considered a true regional symbol. Unlike many nut desserts that use frangipane or batter, the Grisons tart relies on a dense caramel that binds the walnuts into an almost solid filling, fully sealed beneath a pastry lid, without holes or decorations. This preservation technique was historically essential, allowing the tart to keep for weeks without spoiling, a quality especially appreciated by shepherds and travellers who spent long periods away from home in the mountainous canton's rural past.
Walnut filling
Whole and chopped walnuts in thick caramel
Creamy caramel
Caramelised sugar with cream and honey
Shortcrust pastry
A base and lid of buttery shortcrust
Keeps well
A dense tart that stays fresh for days
Ingredients 4 servings
- 250 g shortcrust pastry
- 300 g walnuts, half chopped, half whole
- 200 g sugar
- 150 ml double cream
- 2 tbsp honey
- 50 g butter
- 1 egg for brushing
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
How to make it
- 1Preheat the oven to 180°C and butter a round tin.
- 2Roll out two-thirds of the shortcrust pastry and line the base and sides of the tin, pressing gently to make it stick well.
- 3For the filling, melt the sugar in a heavy pan over medium heat, without stirring, until it forms an even golden caramel.
- 4Add the butter, cream and honey to the caramel, stirring constantly until smooth and even, then take it off the heat.
- 5Add the chopped and whole walnuts, vanilla extract and salt to the warm caramel, mixing well to coat all the walnuts.
- 6Pour the walnut filling over the pastry base, levelling the surface with a spoon.
- 7Roll out the remaining pastry and cover the tart, sealing the edges well and making a few small holes on top to let steam escape.
- 8Brush the surface with beaten egg and bake at 180°C for 35-40 minutes, until golden, then let it cool completely before slicing.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
