Teens Cook Dessert Poppy seed Torte

Have you ever eaten something that you thought tasted and felt really weird, but you couldn’t stop eating it because of how indescribably good it was?

That’s the case with this Poppyseed Torte from the rather high-class-college-student-niche Teens Cook Dessert. The book is definitely meant for students who have more ingredients and space at their disposal, however all of the recipes are quite fast and easy to follow. Furthermore, it’s written by two teenage girls, so one can be pretty certain it’s accessible.

I made some changes to the recipe, and I have a few suggestions for those wishing to save some money for this worthwhile dessert.
1) I added a splash of vodka to the whipped cream topping.  It goes great with poppyseeds!
2) I cut the recipe in half and baked it in an 8×8-inch square pan. Instead of using expensive walnuts, I just made the whole crust out of graham crackers.
3) It took me about double the amount of time to cook the custard, so factor that in just incase.
4) I whipped the cream by hand to avoid unecessary clean up (I needed the stand mixer for the egg whites.) To make it easier on yourself, chill a stainless steel bowl and a whisk in the freezer for about 10 minutes prior to whipping the CHILLED heavy cream. Then, whip your heart out – your triceps will thank you.

Buy the book at the kollegekitchen webstore!

Here’s the recipe:

Crust
1 c graham cracker crumbs
1 c flour
1/2 c butter, melted
1/2 c ground walnuts

Filling
5 eggs
2 c milk
1 1.2 c sugar
1/4 c poppy seeds
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 tbsp (2 packets) powdered gelatin
1/2 c water
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Topping
1 c heavy cream
1/4 c confectioner’s sugar

To prepare the crust
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Stir together the crust ingredients in an ungreased 9×19-in. pan and pat firmly into the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 15 minutes.

To prepare the filling
Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a large saucepan and the whites in a large bowl.  Add the milk and 1 cup of the sugar to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved. Add the poppy seeds, salt, and cornstarch and cook, stirring constantly, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until it just begins to bubble and is thick.  (Do not allow the mixture to boil or the eggs will curdle.) Remove the pan from the heat.

Combine the gelatin and water and let stand for 5 minutes, or until the gelatin is dissolved.  Stir the gelatin into the warm egg yolk mixture.

Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat for 2 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. (When the beaters are lifted out of the egg whites, they form peaks that remain upright.) Gently fold the egg whites into the custard. Carefully pour the filling over the crust and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

To prepare the topping
Place the cream in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 3 minutes, or until soft peaks form. (When the beaters are lifted out of the cream, they form peaks that fold over when the beaters pull away.) Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until combined. Spread the whipped cream over the filling and refrigerate the torte until ready to serve.

Advertisement