About the Torta
This popular Argentinean dessert is a tower of crispy pastries layered with dulce de leche in between and topped with Italian meringue. Often used as a wedding cake or featured in fancy restaurants, it actually reminds me of my childhood on a plate, since my grandmother made it on numerous occasions. Enjoy!Ingredients
Dough:4 egg yolks (yema de huevo) - save 2 egg whites for later
4 tablespoons of milk (leche)
4 tablespoons of melted butter (mantequilla)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1¼ cup flour
Dulce de Leche:
1 jar
Meringue:
2 egg whites saved from the before
1 cup white sugar
Instructions
Making the Dough- Combine the egg yolks, milk and baking powder in a bowl. Add 1¼ cup flour and continue mixing until the pastry dough is sticky.
- Separate into 8 balls (bolitas).
- Let rest for 30 minutes.
- With a rolling pin, roll each ball into 8” diameter, thin rounds. Use a bowl or plate to cut circles.
- Bake at 300° for 3-5 minutes or until slightly brown on edges.
Building the Tower
- PRO TIP: On the presentation plate, put a small amount of dulce de leche in the center to keep the tower from sliding while assembling.
- Place the first pastry disc on the plate and then spread a layer of dulce de leche on top.
- Repeat until you’ve used up your pastry discs. Note - don't put dulce de leche on the top layer.
Topping it off with Merengue Italiano
- Start to beat 2 egg whites in a mixer. Leave it running.
- While that’s beating, put 150g of white sugar in a pot, cover it with water, and bring to a boil.
- Boil the sugar and water until you see tiny bubbles and the mixture turns into a simple syrup. To test the sugar, drop a tiny spoonful into cold water. If it is ready, the simple syrup will become hard in the water.
- Pour simple syrup into egg whites while mixing, and continue mixing until the meringue becomes shiny and smooth.
- Put the meringue into a pastry bag, and squirt in little cones onto the top of the cake. PRO TIP: You can practice on a plate to get the little meringues to look just right before you start topping off your masterpiece.
