Torta Sbrisolona

Last week, I made a torta sbrisolona from "Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook," my bible of all things sugar and lard. According to the editors, "This giant round of crisp cookie topped with large clumps of streusel is a specialty of Mantua, Italy. It's perfect served with a bunch of grapes at the end of a dinner party. Set it in the center of the table and let guests break off pieces."

I substituted finely chopped walnuts for the almonds and used a shallow, heavily buttered tart pan instead of a springform pan. Although you can eat the torta with your hands, I cut mine into slices and garnished them with organic blueberries. Crumbly, buttery goodness!








TORTA SBRISOLONA

makes one 10-inch cookie

1 3/4 sticks (14 tbs) unsalted butter
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c (about 5 oz) blanched almonds, finely ground
3/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch springform pan; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ground almonds, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until it is completely incorporated and there are no dry crumbs. Squeeze the mixture to form pea-size to 1-inch clumps.

Gently press three-quarters of the mixture into the prepared pan, and sprinkle evenly with remaining crumbs. Bake until cookie begins to turn golden, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees, and continue to bake until golden brown and fairly dry, about 10 minutes more.

Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove sides of pan to unmold. Cookie can be kept, wrapped well in aluminum foil, at room temperature for up to 3 days.