Sbrisolona with Moscato d’Asti Zabaglione

Name: Sbrisolona with Moscato d’Asti Zabaglione
Ingredients: 3/4 cup raw almonds; 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 6 tablespoons finely ground cornmeal; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, plus butter for the pan; 3 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 1 extra-large egg yolk; 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract; 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest; Moscato d’Asti zabaglione (recipe follows); 1/2 vanilla bean; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 2 cups Moscato d’Asti; 5 extra-large egg yolks; 1 cup heavy cream

January 24, 2012

My ongoing quest to find new ways to eat butter, sugar, and nuts together resulted in this happy discovery: sbrisolona. A regional specialty of Mantova, Italy, this cookie gets its name from its crumbly texture. The dough is worked together by hand into a dry, coarse meal, pressed into a cake pan, and baked until it’s very firm. I follow the Italian tradition and break the giant cookie into rough, jagged pieces. Like biscotti, its dense, nutty quality makes it the perfect vehicle for scooping up zabaglione. This old-fashioned Italian custard is traditionally made by whisking egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine over simmering water. In this festive version I’ve substituted slightly sweet sparkling Moscato d’Asti for the Marsala.

Recipe notes

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