Sbrisolona (Crunchy Italian Almond Cake)

★★★☆☆

Prep: 20 mins Cook: 40 mins Serves: 8

Ingredients

1½ cups almonds
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or plant butter, chilled and cubed + additional for greasing pan
1¼ cups all-purpose flour or GF flour blend, divided
¾ cup stone-ground cornmeal
¾ cup granulated cane sugar or maple sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
2 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon pure almond extract
Zest of 1 orange

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place almonds on a pie plate and bake for 10-13 minutes until fragrant and lightly toasted. Cool completely.
2. Lightly grease a 9-10-inch pie plate, cake pan, or equivalent baking dish.
3. Add 1 cup toasted almonds and ¼ cup flour to food processor and pulse until pieces are size of small peas. Transfer to large bowl.
4. Pulse remaining almonds in food processor into pieces larger than peas (or chop by hand) and add to almond flour mixture.
5. Add remaining 1 cup flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt to bowl and stir to combine.
6. Add cubed butter and rub with hands between fingers until coarse texture forms. Some butter pieces can be larger than others, but mixture should feel moist, not dry or powdery.
7. In small bowl, whisk together egg yolks, orange zest, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Add to almond mixture and combine with hands until dough begins to form.
8. Transfer to prepared pan and spread into even layer without packing tightly.
9. Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before serving. Break into rustic pieces for serving.

The name "sbrisolona" literally means "crumbs" in Italian. This traditional northern Italian dessert is meant to be broken into rustic pieces rather than sliced. Using your hands to mix the dough is preferred as it helps distribute the butter perfectly while maintaining the essential crumbly texture. The cake actually improves after a day or two as flavors meld. Store in airtight container for up to one week at room temperature. Freezes well for up to 3 months - layer pieces with parchment in freezer container.

Wine Pairing: Dessert Wine