#9 of Italian Regional Classics: Torta Sbrisolona (Mantova)
Sbrisolona is the crunchiest way to end a meal in MantovaIt’s sweet, rustic, and crumbles with every bite — like a cookie pretending to be cake.Tradition says: break it with your hands, not a knife.And if you’ve got a little grappa on the side? Even better.
Ingredients (Serves 8):• 400 g (3¼ cups) all-purpose flour• 200 g (1⅓ cups) yellow cornmeal (polenta flour)• 200 g (1 cup) sugar• 100 g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened• 100 g (7 tbsp) lardo (or replace with more butter or olive oil)• 100 g (¾ cup) whole almonds, chopped• Zest of 1 lemon• 2 egg yolks• Pinch of salt• Butter + flour for the baking tray
Instructions:
1. Chop the almonds roughly. Zest a whole lemon.
2. In a large bowl, mix the white flour, cornmeal, sugar, lemon zest, and almonds.
3. Add butter and lardo (or your chosen fat). Work it in by hand until crumbly.
4. Mix in the egg yolks — just enough to help the dough hold together.
5. Butter and flour a baking tray. Pour the crumbly dough in and press gently to compact it — but not too tight. It should stay rustic.
6. Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 40 minutes, until golden and firm.
7. Let it cool, then break it apart with your hands. That’s the rule.
Sbrisolona doesn’t slice. It shatters.Would you have a piece with grappa? Or maybe two?
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welcome to Italian original classic you might have heard of but never tried torto brolona is the crunchiest after dinner to go with if you are eating in mtoa but here is the thing with a bit more graa it tastes even better i start by chopping roughly 100 g of almonds and the zest of one lemon in a bowl I combine soft wheat pinta flour sugar and our almond lemon mix butter and big fat goes in egg yolk will hold everything together once I have a smooth compost butter and flour dust the baking tray i pour the dough in spreading it around press to compact and cook at 175 for 40