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Sbrisolona is a traditional dessert from Mantua, a city in Lombardy. The word "sbrisolona" comes from the Italian verb "sbriciolare," which means to crumble or break into pieces (in the Mantuan dialect, "brisa" means "crumb").True to its name, sbrisolona has a crumbly texture and a rich, buttery flavor that make it a favorite treat across Italy.Although there are many variations of sbrisolona, the authentic recipe has been passed down for generations and remains a cherished part of Mantua's culinary tradition.
3gvanilla extract½ teaspoon, or ¾ teaspoon of vanillina or 1 vanilla bean
100ggranulated sugar½ cup + 1 tablespoon for decoration
salta pinch
Instructions
On a cutting board, chop the almonds coarsely with a knife. Keep about 6-8 whole for decoration. Set aside.
Pour the "00" flour and cornmeal into a large bowl.
Add the chopped almonds. Then add the sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Finally, mix the ingredients so that all the dried ingredients are well combined.
Add the grated zest of one medium organic lemon and the egg yolk.
Add the cold butter. It's best to use your hands at this step to better knead all the ingredients together.
Start crumbling with your hands to create a coarse crumbly dough. You should get a dough that is NOT compact but crumbles easily.
Let's put the dough in a 20 cm (8 inch) baking pan with the bottom lined with baking paper. Spread it out evenly, leveling it a bit but not compacting it too much.
Decorate the top with a handful of whole almonds and a tablespoon of sugar.
Bake in a preheated, ventilated oven at 180°C (356°F) for about 35-40 minutes. The cake should be nicely browned.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.
Transfer the Sbrisolona cake to a serving plate and serve by breaking it with your hands, as is the Mantuan tradition!