Mantuan Sbrisolona: a not-too-sweet and very crunchy dessert of shortcrust pastry and almonds. Its origin seems to be peasant, as shown by the few ingredients and the cornmeal, which was widely used in homes around the 1500s and 1600s. A fundamental ingredient is cornmeal, abundant at the time, and this cake was prepared to celebrate joyful moments like weddings and baptisms. The sbrisolona was born in Mantua, Lombardy, in peasant homes, but it was also highly appreciated at the Gonzaga court. Today it is a dessert to be enjoyed not only on festive days but any other day of the week.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Lombardy
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 714.13 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 71.96 (g) of which sugars 20.07 (g)
- Proteins 13.40 (g)
- Fat 43.95 (g) of which saturated 19.93 (g)of which unsaturated 23.24 (g)
- Fibers 5.10 (g)
- Sodium 71.25 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 135 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
- 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 vial vanilla
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 7 oz butter
- 5 2/3 oz almonds
Tools
- Baking Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Bowl
Steps
Combine the two flours, cornmeal and
all-purpose flour,
add sugar and a pinch of salt.
Mix with a hand whisk.
Now add the egg yolks
and start mixing the ingredients.
Bring the butter to room temperature
and add it to the rest of the mixture. At this point, leave the whisk and start working with your hands.
Chop more than half of the almonds with a mortar (or food processor)
You can leave the almonds unpeeled if you prefer.
Add the chopped almonds
and the whole almonds.
Just mix, leave the dough rough.
Line the baking pan with parchment paper and start crumbling the dough with your fingers.
Without pressing or arranging the dough.
Cover the entire pan this way without pressing the dough
Bake the Mantuan sbrisolona in the oven at 356°F for 40 minutes.
And here it is, ready to be enjoyed. Don’t expect to cut it into slices: the Mantuan sbrisolona is broken with hands.
Don’t worry if it crumbles when you cut it: it’s called sbrisolona because it crumbles easily. So it should be broken with hands.
Very delicious and fragrant, the Mantuan sbrisolona.
Tips
I would also like to point out another cake with cornmeal. I’m talking about the always Lombard cake: Amor polenta or Dolce Varese.
https://blog.giallozafferano.it/vaipinacucina/amor-polenta-o-dolce-varese/
https://blog.giallozafferano.it/vaipinacucina/amor-polenta-o-dolce-varese/
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I substitute almonds with hazelnuts to make the Mantuan sbrisolona?
Actually, the recipe was born with almonds, but replacing them with hazelnuts shouldn’t cause any problems. It will still be good, but with a different flavor.
