Crescionda from Spoleto with amaretti and chocolate
The crescionda from Spoleto is a very ancient dessert from Umbria, traditionally made for Carnival.
The traditional family recipe comes from my maternal grandmother who was born in Spoleto, but every family has its own secret recipe.
This is a delicious dessert with different textures, reminiscent of the magic cake: because once cooked, when cut, you’ll magically notice three different layers made of amaretti, cream, and dark chocolate.
A simple and easy-to-make chocolate cake with a great effect, that will win you over at the first taste, it’s so soft it looks like a pudding, it melts in your mouth.
Crescionda gets better if consumed the next day, allowing the flavors to meld better and it keeps for several days at room temperature.
If you’re looking for recipes (sweet or savory) for Carnival, click on my: “Special Carnival“
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival, Winter
- Energy 464.45 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 67.68 (g) of which sugars 35.27 (g)
- Proteins 9.86 (g)
- Fat 16.67 (g) of which saturated 7.97 (g)of which unsaturated 7.85 (g)
- Fibers 2.23 (g)
- Sodium 291.33 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 80 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Crescionda from Spoleto with amaretti and chocolate
- 4 eggs
- 7.05 oz amaretti (dry)
- 3.53 oz 55% dark chocolate (quality)
- 2 cups whole milk
- 0.40 cup all-purpose flour (sifted)
- 0.30 cup granulated sugar
- 0.68 oz amaretto (liqueur)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 0.04 oz fine salt
- 0.07 oz ground cinnamon (optional)
Tools
- Bowl
- Cutting Board with cutter
- Knife
- Mixer electric
- Blender
Steps for Crescionda from Spoleto with amaretti and chocolate
First, chop the amaretti with a mixer and set them aside. Also chop the dark chocolate with a knife.
Using an electric mixer, beat the 4 egg yolks with sugar for about 8 minutes until the mixture is light and frothy. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Add the finely chopped chocolate, milk, salt, vanilla, cinnamon (optional) to the beaten yolk mixture and incorporate all the ingredients well. Then add the sifted flour and chopped amaretti.
Mix all the ingredients well and finally fold in the beaten egg whites, gently, from the bottom upwards.
Butter and flour a springform pan about 9.5 inches in diameter, bake in a preheated oven at 356°F for about 50 minutes.
Unmold the crescionda and let it cool well and garnish with a few whole amaretti. Enjoy it cold, preferably the next day.
Shopping Tips !!!
I quickly made the dough without lumps, with this electric mixer which has a powerful 500 W motor and 9 accessories. #adv
To chop the amaretti, I used the very handy mini-chopper accessory of my Braun MultiQuick 9 Hand Blender with 1200 W of power and 5 accessories, which you can purchase at a special price on Amazon. #adv
Read my review for GialloZafferano on the Braun MQ9045 MultiQuick 9 Hand Blender
Read my review for GialloZafferano on the Braun MQ9045 MultiQuick 9 Hand Blender
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Crescionda: origins and history
The Crescionda is an Umbrian dessert (particularly from Spoleto) typical of Carnival. The name Crescionda derives from “crescia unta”, meaning “oily focaccia” – due to its soft consistency and shiny appearance – although it seems that oil has never been used in its preparation.
It appears that Crescionda has ancient roots in the Middle Ages. An ancient version, besides chocolate, even included the use of chicken broth, breadcrumbs, and pecorino cheese. A sweet and sour flavor that then, over the centuries, has definitely evolved along with the more modern idea of dessert.
