Nigvzis Torti

(Walnut-Raisin Torte)

Serves 10 to 12

1/2 pound or two sticks of butter, softened
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of plain yogurt
3 1/2 cups of unbleached of white flour
1/2 cup of white grape juice

Filling:

2 cups of shelled walnuts
2 cups of raisins
1/ 2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

In a bowl cream together the butter and 1/2 cup of sugar; beat in the yogurt. Stir in the flour and mix well. Shape the dough into a ball and chill for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toast the walnuts for 10 minutes until lightly browned, then grind them.

Steam the raisins over boiling water until plump. Mix with the ground walnuts and stir in 1/ 2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.

Divide the dough into 4 parts, keeping the unused dough refrigerated. On a floured board, roll out 1 piece of dough to a round 20 inches in diameter. Place it on a greased baking sheet. Cover to within 1 inch of the edges with 1/3 of the filling. Roll out the second round and place it over the filling, then top with half of the remaining nut mixture. Roll out the third round and place it over the filling, then top with the remaining nut mixture. Cover with the last round of dough. Trim the edges and fold the top edge under to seal. Pat the pie into a uniform round shape and crimp the bottom edges with your fingers. Make 5 slits in the top crust.

Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until nicely browned.

Meanwhile, prepare syrup by mixing together in a saucepan the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and the grape juice. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until syrup forms.

When the pie is don, remove from the oven and allow cooling for 15 minutes. Then brush with the syrup to glaze, allowing it to soak into the filling through the slits in the crust. Set under a hot boiler for a minute to set the glaze.

Store any leftover cake tightly covered at room temperature.

Recipe from Niko Dadiani

If you have further information...
We have collected here quite a bit of information about Georgia, but we are looking for more. If you have information about this section that you think may be of interest to researchers, please send us the information using the Submission Form.