Does anyone know this dessert?

[EnjoythemoneyJane]

It’s one my mum always did at Christmas and she called it ‘Austrian Torte’ - although it’s definitely not a torte and there’s nothing remotely Austrian about it!

It's a no-bake dessert made in a loaf tin, turned out and covered in whipped cream & flaked chocolate. The ingredients are similar to a tiramisu - coffee-soaked savoiarde (lady’s fingers) and cream, plus whisky-soaked raisins (and possibly cocoa powder, eggs, mascarpone, icing sugar?) - but it turns out more like a dense, fudgy, refrigerator cake. It’s very rich and very Christmassy.

I think it probably came originally from somewhere like Good Housekeeping or Woman’s Own in the 70s/80s, but I only had her handwritten recipe which I sadly seem to have misplaced, and I can’t find anything similar online.

Anyone recognise it - or, even better, have a recipe? I can probably have a crack at it without, but it would be nice to have one.

It sounds like biscotten torte but with savoiardi instead of butterkeks?

It IS Austrian. My granny used to make it as she grew up in Vienna.

www.theglobaljewishkitchen.com/2012/01/12/biscotten-torte/

Here is one in turned out loaf format with cream and flake:

In France we often make this dessert…whip up cream with a little icing sugar, then mix 7 parts cream to 5 parts mascarpone plus vanilla essence or coffee or hazelnut or almond liqueur or a strong small cup of espresso (or you could use Baileys, or cocoa powder if making for children). Then you can add a little more icing sugar, to taste.
On a huge sheet of foil, lay out Petit Lu biscuits in 3 rows of at least 6 but probably more like 8 or 10 biscuits, so that the biscuits are touching and form a mat. Spread about 1/4 of your cream Mix over the biscuits then add another identical of biscuits on top. Spread over the rest of the cream.
Using the foil, wrap it all up in a prism shape and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
Take out, check it holds its shape without the foil, and pour over melted chocolate (around 50% cocoa is best) mixed with a knob of melted butter. Then immediately sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts. Leave to cool then put back in the fridge until chocolate is crunchy, can leave in the fridge for up to 2 days before you want to serve and eat.
You can also just sprinkle with cocoa powder if you don’t want to do the melted chocolate step.

Maybe you can adapt this sort of thing to your mum’ s recipe? Good luck, OP, and please post if you do find out how to prepare the original dish!

Oh, brilliant, thanks everyone.

None of these recipes is totally the same - definitely no jam involved - although @TheYearOfSmallThings picture is exactly what it looks like, down to the crumbled up Flake on top!

Interesting that it actually is an Austrian dessert (mum did a lot of 70s versions of things like curry which bore no resemblance to the real thing 😬) but this one is definitely a version of biscotten torte, albeit slightly adapted.

I’ve asked my dad to check at home for mum’s folder, so I’ll let you know if he finds her recipe. Thanks again!