Sbrisolona
★★★☆☆
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (170g) almonds, lightly toasted1½ cups (170g) almonds, lightly toasted
- 1¼ cups (175g) flour1¼ cups (175g) flour
- ¾ cup (110g) stone-ground cornmeal¾ cup (110g) stone-ground cornmeal
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (45g) packed light brown sugar¼ cup (45g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt2 ml salt
- 8 ounces (1 cup, 225g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed225 g (1 cup, 225g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 2 large egg yolks2 large egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract2 ml vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract2 ml almond extract
- Zest of 1 orange, unsprayed or organicZest of 1 orange, unsprayed or organic
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9- or 10-inch (23-25cm) square cake pan or tart pan.
- 2. In a food processor, pulse 1 cup (110g) almonds with ¼ cup (35g) of the flour until almonds are in fine pieces about the size of small peas. Transfer to a large bowl. Pulse remaining almonds until very coarsely chopped in large, recognizable pieces.
- 3. Mix remaining flour into the bowl along with cornmeal, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Add butter cubes and use fingers (or pastry blender) to cut in butter, rubbing cubes against flour mixture until well-dispersed and about the size of small pea kernels. Pieces can be irregular.
- 4. In a small bowl, stir together egg yolks, almond extract, vanilla extract, and orange zest. Add to sbrisolona mixture and stir with hands, mixing and squeezing until dough starts to clump together.
- 5. Transfer dough to prepared pan and spread somewhat evenly without pressing down or compacting. Bake until golden brown across the top, about 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely before removing in rough chunks.
To toast almonds: spread on baking sheet and toast at 350°F for 10 minutes, stirring midway. Cool completely before grinding. Can substitute hazelnuts for almonds. Optional additions: 1 teaspoon anise seeds or cinnamon. For more crunch, replace brown sugar with granulated sugar. Judy Witts Francini suggests splashing hot sbrisolona with grappa. Serve with dessert wine, coffee, or as breakfast treat. Store in airtight container up to 5 days at room temperature or freeze up to 2 months.
Wine Pairing: Dessert Wine — Moscato d'Asti — The sweet, lightly sparkling wine complements the almond and orange flavors while its gentle effervescence cuts through the rich, buttery crumble