As a professional pastry chef with years of experience crafting indulgent desserts, I recommend preparing the sweet dough the day before. Combine flour, 90g butter, 30g caster sugar, 1 egg, a pinch of salt, ½ sachet vanilla sugar, and 30g almond powder. Mix briefly like shortcrust pastry, then chill overnight in the fridge for optimal texture.
The next day, roll the dough to 4mm thickness. Line a buttered 26cm pie tin, creating a pinched ridge edge. Chill for 1-2 hours. Preheat oven to 220°C (th. 7).
Prick the base, cover with parchment paper, and weigh down with dried beans or pulses. Bake for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Whisk 70g caster sugar, 2 eggs, and 100g cream. Stir in 10cl strong coffee, 40g melted butter, 75g brown sugar, and 200g chopped walnuts until smooth.
Remove pre-baked shell from oven, pour in filling, and bake at 200°C (th. 6) for 40-45 minutes until set. Cool completely, dust with icing sugar, and garnish with walnut kernels for an elegant finish.
