World Baking Day feels like the perfect excuse to think about my Italian grandmother, Nonna.
Nonna, my sister and I enjoying some baking.
Growing up, you could almost always find Nonna in one of two places—the kitchen or her sewing room. Both held their own kind of magic. The soft hum of her sewing machine, or the clatter of tins and spoons as something delicious came together.
Her house always smelled incredible. Warm, familiar, comforting—the kind of smell that made you feel at home the moment you walked through the door. Even now, the smell of fresh basil takes me straight back to her kitchen table.
And without fail, a jar of her famous Peanut Crisp Biscuits was always sitting in the pantry. It didn’t matter when you visited—they were simply there, like a quiet little act of love waiting for you. Even now, when she travels to visit family, you can almost guarantee she has tucked a few containers of biscuits into her luggage, along with a wedge of Parmesan cheese.
It was a proud moment for our whole family when her Italian Carrot & Almond Torte was selected as Recipe of the Month and published in the Australian Women’s Weekly.
She’s 91 now and still cooking and baking—still creating that same warmth, and that same feeling of home.
I don’t think she ever realised how special those small things were. But they’re the memories that stay with you the longest.
For me, baking will always be tied to her—to care, comfort, and the simple joy of making something with your hands for the people you love.
So for World Baking Day, I’m sharing two of Nonna’s beloved family recipes in the hope they bring a little warmth, comfort, and togetherness to your home, too.
Nonna’s Italian Carrot & Almond Torte recipe
This beautiful torte is soft, fragrant, and quietly nostalgic—Nonna's favourite for special occasions served after dinner or a tea party with a little dollop of cream.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
- ¾ cup firmly packed finely grated carrot
- 2 cups almond meal
- 2 tablespoons self-raising flour
- 1¼ cups pine nuts
- Icing sugar mixture, for dusting
Method
- Grease a deep 20cm round cake pan and line the base with baking paper.
- Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until thick and creamy.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, then fold in the lemon rind, carrot, almond meal, and flour.
- Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold into the cake mixture, then pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top evenly with pine nuts.
- Bake in a moderate oven (180°C) for about 45 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through when tested. If the nuts begin to brown too quickly, cover the top loosely with foil.
- Stand the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
- Serve warm or cold, dusted with icing sugar mixture.
Nonna’s Peanut Crisp Biscuits recipe
These are the biscuits that always remind me most of her. Simple, crunchy, and quietly comforting, they were always there in the pantry—ready for whoever happened to stop by.
Ingredients
- 120g butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 cup self-raising flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup chopped peanuts
- 1 cup cornflakes
Method
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and beat well.
- Fold in the flour.
- Work in the oats, chopped peanuts, and cornflakes.
- Place teaspoonfuls of mixture onto a baking tray.
- Bake in a hot oven (180°C) for 10–15 minutes, or until golden.
They’re the kind of biscuits that feel made for sharing—simple, nostalgic, and best enjoyed with a cup of tea and someone you love nearby.
Baking, memory, and the feeling of home
Three generations, one love language: feeding the people we love. Mum definitely inherited Nonna’s magic in the kitchen.
World Baking Day is a lovely reminder that the recipes we return to again and again are often about more than food. They carry memory, care, and a sense of home with them.
These are the recipes I think of when I think of Nonna—her kitchen, her generosity, and the quiet beauty of making something by hand. I hope they bring a little of that same feeling into your home, too.
If one of these recipes finds its way into your kitchen, I’d love to know.