Sbrisolona (Mantua’s Crumbly Cake)

Name: Sbrisolona (Mantua’s Crumbly Cake)
Ingredients: 1 3/4 all-purpose flour; 2 1/4 tsp baking powder; 3/4 cup cornmeal; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 3/4 cups whole unsalted almonds; 14 tbs unsalted cold butter cut into small pieces; 2 eggs slightly beaten with a fork; 1 1/4 cups sugar; 1 tbs vanilla extract

Sbrisolona, meaning crumbly cake originated in the city of Mantua in the region of Lombardia and takes its name from the dialect word brisa, meaning crumb and was a familiar confection on the tables of the noble Gonzaga ruling family in the 16^th century.

Also known by various Lombardy dialects like (sbrisulòna, sbrisolìna, sbrisulùsa or sbrisulàda, it is the queen of Mantuan pastry and looks anything but delicate when it is baked. Instead, its rough cratered surface should not be sliced but broken into crumbly pieces to serve

Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

1 3/4 all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups whole unsalted almonds
14 tbs unsalted cold butter cut into small pieces
2 eggs slightly beaten with a fork
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tbs vanilla extract

Directions

In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cornmeal and salt.
In a food processor, add 1-½ cups of the almonds and grind them until coarse.
Add them to the flour mixture and combine well.
Add the butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla and use your hands to create a crumbly and somewhat stiff dough.
Preheat the oven to 375F
Butter a 9-inch spring-form pan and line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper. Butter the paper.
Dump the mixture in the pan and even it out but don’t press it down smooth; it should remain rough looking.
Coarsely chop the remaining ¼ cup almonds and scatter them over the top of the dough.
Bake for 35 minutes or until the cake is nicely browned and firm to the touch
Cool completely. Break into pieces to serve.