Sbrisolona with Moscato d’Asti Zabaglione
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.
Ingredients
Moscato D’asti Zabaglione
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2
Spread the almonds on a baking sheet, and toast 8 to 10 minutes, tossing a couple of times, until they’re golden brown and smell nutty. When they have cooled, chop the nuts coarsely.
Step 3
Place the flour, cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter, and work it into the flour with your fingers until you have a coarse meal. Stir in the sugars and almonds. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
Step 4
Combine the egg yolk, extracts, and zest together in a small bowl. Pour into the well at the center of the dry ingredients. Mix gently with your hands. The dough will look dry and crumbly, similar to a streusel.
Step 5
Transfer the dough into a buttered 8-inch springform pan. Very lightly, press the dough into the pan, being careful not to pack it too tightly; the top should be somewhat uneven.
Step 6
Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until set and deep golden brown.
Step 7
When it has cooled completely, break the sbrisolona into “rustic” pieces, and serve with a bowl of the zabaglione. Invite your guests to scoop up dollops of zabaglione onto the sbrisolona and eat with their hands. Serve with glasses of Moscato d’Asti, of course!
Moscato D’asti Zabaglione
Step 8
Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and, using a paring knife, scrape the seeds and pulp into a medium saucepan. Add the vanilla pod, sugar, and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, without stirring, to a light caramel. Add the Moscato (don’t worry when the caramel seizes up; it will remelt). Reduce the mixture to 1 cup and remove the vanilla pod.
Step 9
Whisk the egg yolks together in a large mixing bowl. Whisk a few tablespoons of the Moscato caramel into the egg yolks to temper them. Slowly, add another quarter or so of the mixture, whisking constantly. At this point, you can add the rest of the Moscato caramel in a slow steady stream, whisking all the time.
Step 10
Place the mixture in a double boiler, and cook over low heat about 6 minutes, whisking continuously, until it’s thick and light in color and forms ribbons when it falls from the whisk. Cool in a stainless steel bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Step 11
When you’re ready to serve, whip the cream in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment at high speed until it holds stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream carefully into the custard base. Serve the zabaglione in a beautiful bowl.
Note
Step 12
The zabaglione needs to cool for 2 hours before serving.
