(Meaning: crumble)
This classic recipe is a typical dessert of Mantua in the Lombardy region. It dates back as far as the sixteenth century. Chef Alberto Ravazzini gave me this recipe and prepared this giant cookie at our festive dinner on the last day of one of the tours I led to Northern Italy.
Ingredients
- Use an 11-inch tart pan or baking dish
- 1 cup coarsely chopped raw almonds, keeping 15 whole for decoration
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 egg
- 1 stick of butter cut into small pieces
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter an 11-inch tart pan or baking dish.
Coarsely chop all (except 15) of the almonds in a food processor or on a cutting board with a sharp knife. Set aside 15 for decorating the top.
Place the almonds, almond flour, cornmeal, and flour in a large bowl and mix until well combined.
Add the sugar, lemon zest, egg and butter.
With your hands, knead the mixture to form a coarse crumbly dough. The dough should be manageable but crumble easily.
Put the dough in the pan. Spread it out, leveling it evenly but not compacting it too much.
Decorate the top with the whole almonds.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until nicely brown and firm. Remove from oven and let it cool completely before removing it from the pan.
Serves about 6 to 8
