More on Linzer Torte

During dinner last night with our neighbors W., C., and T., while we were eating a sorry excuse for brownies (you just can't make brownies using German Backpulver and an uncontrollably hot electric oven), I mentioned the Sunday Edeka advertising supplement's claim to Linzer Torte. W. said the idea that the cake originated in Baden isn't so far fetched: there's a region in Baden-Wuerttemberg, near the Bodensee, called the Linzgau ("Linz region"). Technically, a torte from this region would be a Linzgauer Torte, not a Linzer Torte. Nonetheless, I want to do right by both Baden and Linzer Torte, so I did a little fact checking.

According to the Upper Austrian State Museums' extensive online discussion of the history of Linzer Torte, the oldest known recipe for the delectable treat dates to 1653 and is in a cookbook known as Codex 35/31 at the Stiftsarchiv Admont, in the Austrian state Steiermark. The recipes therein were collected with "great industriousness" and "over many years" by "Frau Anna Margarita Sagramosin, born the Countess Paradeiserin." The Paradeisers were members of the nobility of Krain in Innerösterreich (Inner Austria).* [Linz was part of not-so-distant Oberösterreich (upper Austria), while Linzgau was far, far away in Vorderösterreich (the Austrian borderlands).] The countess had recipes for Linzer/Lintzer/Linser/Linzerischen Tortten/Turdten/Taig, but none for Linzgauer Torte.

In case you want to make some Linzer dough, here's one of the four oldest known recipes:

Daß Linser Täg

Nimb 1 fihrtl mehl 3 fierting zukher 3 vierting Butter ain halb lb gestossene mandl Reibs unter ein ander ab das der Butter woll zerriben würdt hernach schlag 3 ayr Khlar undt 2 Dutter ist er zu fest so schlage noch eins mach den täg geschwündt zusamb, walge ihn ein halben finger dikh auß lege ihn auf die schißl lege dariber schön gewirztes giter bachs gar khill.

*To our delight, Google Translate thinks this bit of information should read, "The sex of the 'tomato' was part of the inner-Austrian nobility, it was established in Krain" ("Das Geschlecht der „Paradeiser“ gehörte zum innerösterreichischen Adel, es war ansässig in Krain"). For entertainment value, Google Translate is almost as good as Schlager.