La Dolce Vita- Sbrisolona

Fall’s crisp weather and work slowing down, send me back into the kitchen. November is a fabulous foodie month in Italy with the first porcini mushrooms, white truffles, new olive oil and wine all coming together to create many impromptu feasts.

My thoughts start turning to Christmas sweets and trying to pull new ones from my various trips around Italy. I am going to start my sweet trip in Mantova, with this easy cornmeal cake called Sbrisolona. The verb “ sbriciolare” means to crumble, which makes this cake so fun.

When I learned how to make this while touring the wine country around Verona and Mantova, each pastry shop had their own version.
I have chosen the eggless way of making it but get decadent with a splash of grappa on the hot cake, right out of the oven!  Up north is it quite cold in winter and grappa is their way of keeping warm. It adds an aromatic touch to the simple dessert, but can be made without it for kids.

Sbrisolona Casalinga- Housewife’s version

Italians use scales to weigh ingredients- for pastry work I find it necessary to be exact!

100 grams is 3 ounces

100 grams ground almonds

100 grams Italian pastry flour

100 grams coarse cornmeal

100 grams sugar

lemon zest

100 grams butter, softened

optional- 2 yolks ( I used a splash of milk)

Mix together the flour, ground almonds, cornmeal, sugar and lemon zest.
Work the softened butter in with your fingers until it forms a crumb-like topping.
If the dough is dry, you can add the yolks or milk.

Lightly press into a round pan and cook at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Cut into wedges and then you can Sbriciolare- break- into smaller pieces.

Dust with powdered sugar if you like for decoration.

Save in a tin.

It will be soft when it comes out of the oven and harden as it sits.
If you want to splash with some grappa, do so right when it comes out of the oven.
Hot and cold attract and the grappa will be absorbed immediately.