When I found out that the main ingredients of this Pisan cake were chocolate, rice, candied fruit, and pine nuts, I just had to make one right away. Pine nuts and chocolate are among my favorites. Here’s my recipe for Torta coi Bischeri. What are bischeri? I’ll explain below.

Tart inside a round aluminum pan, a slice is removed. The tart is cooked and you can see that it has chocolate mixed with rice inside, you can also see pine nuts on the surface, the tart is well cooked and has a dry and fragrant appearance.

Bischeri Cake | Pisan Chocolate & Pine Nut Tart

Guido Pasquariello

Bischeri Cake is a traditional Tuscan dessert combining dark chocolate, rice, and candied fruits in a buttery shortcrust pastry.

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Prep Time 2

Cook Time 45

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 servings

Equipment

Mixer
Refrigerator
Saucepan
Baking paper
22-24 cm diameter cake pan
Knife
Spatula

Ingredients

For the Shortcrust Pastry:

2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup 1 stick soft butter
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
Grated zest of 1 lemon

For the Filling:

½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup uncooked short-grain rice
3 oz dark chocolate chopped
⅓ cup raisins
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
⅓ cup mixed candied orange and citron chopped
2 tablespoons Strega liqueur or substitute with a dash of vanilla extract if unavailable
2 eggs
A pinch of nutmeg
¼ cup pine nuts

Instructions

Mix Dough: In your mixer, combine eggs, sugar, soft butter in cubes, baking powder, lemon zest, and flour with salt. Mix briefly until you have a firm, smooth dough.
2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup 1 stick soft butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, Grated zest of 1 lemon
Shape, Wrap and Chill Dough: Shape the dough into a ball, then flatten it slightly with your hands. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Cook Rice: In a saucepan, mix the rice with ¾ cup of cold water and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat, and cook until the water is absorbed.
¾ cup uncooked short-grain rice
Add Chocolate to Rice: Off the heat, mix in the dark chocolate until melted. Stir in the nutmeg, cocoa powder, and sugar, then refrigerate.
½ cup granulated sugar, 3 oz dark chocolate, ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, A pinch of nutmeg
Prepare Crust and Form Beaks: Roll out a bit more than half of the dough on baking paper into a disk. Flip onto a greased and floured cake pan. Trim excess dough, then make diagonal cuts around the edge. Fold to form triangles (bischeri).
Prepare Filling: To the cooled rice-chocolate mixture, add chopped candied fruits, raisins, liqueur (or vanilla), and eggs. Mix well.
⅓ cup raisins, ⅓ cup mixed candied orange and citron, 2 tablespoons Strega liqueur, 2 eggs
Fill and Decorate: Pour the filling into the crust and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle pine nuts on top. Roll out the remaining dough, cut into strips, and form a lattice over the filling. Exactly like the classic strips of dough you see on traditional pies.
¼ cup pine nuts
Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 40-45 minutes or until golden. Let cool before serving.

Notes

Use a dash of vanilla extract as a substitute for Strega liqueur. This is a widely available and excellent alternative in American kitchens.
Arborio rice, commonly used in risotto, can replace short-grain rice. It offers a similar texture and absorption capacity, making it a suitable alternative.
For the best flavor, make the cake a day ahead; it allows the flavors to meld.
Store at room temperature under a glass dome or in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Bischeri Cake: The Pisan Cake with the Crown

Tart inside a round aluminum pan. The tart is cooked and you can see that it has chocolate mixed with rice inside, you can also see pine nuts on the surface, the tart is well cooked and has a dry and fragrant appearance.

Torta co’ Bischeri stands out as a remarkable testament to the inventive and rich heritage of Pisan cuisine, with its unique blend of chocolate, rice, pine nuts, raisins, and candied fruits, all enveloped in a tender shortcrust pastry, serves not just as a delicious dessert but as a narrative of Tuscany’s culinary diversity.

The name “co’ bischeri” is particularly fascinating, deriving from the peculiar pointed shapes of pastry that adorn the cake like a crown. These points, or “bischeri,” add a playful touch to the dish, reflecting a term steeped in local culture and humor, where “bischero” can teasingly refer to a fool or a naive person in Florentine dialect. Yet, here, it celebrates the creative spirit of Pisan pastry making, transforming a local idiom into a signature element of this dessert.

For those eager to delve deeper into the gastronomic treasures of Pisa, I highly encourage a visit to the link, where the journey through the city’s gastronomic specialties continues.