Fregola means “crumb,” and fregolotta means “one big crumb:” for this delightful treat, you make and bake lots of little crumbs into two round cookie crumbles. This is an ideal cake/cookie: it keeps for days in a tin, and is delightful after dinner with some ice cream or whipped cream. It is the quintessential cookie to have with your espresso to finish a true Italian meal.
Recipe information
Yield
makes two 9-inch cookies for crumbling, serving 12 to 14
Ingredients
Recommended Equipment
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350˚. Assemble the springform pans, and butter the bottom disks and about an inch up the sides.
Step 2
Set aside two or three whole almonds, and chop all the rest coarsely into chunks the size of chocolate chips. Stir the flour, sugar, and salt together in a mixing bowl, and toss in the chopped almonds.
Step 3
Beat the yolks together briefly, and drizzle all over the dry ingredients. Toss with a fork to blend. Drizzle the cream over by tablespoons, tossing and stirring to moisten the nut mixture evenly. It should be crumbly but not floury; add a small amount more cream if necessary.
Step 4
Pour half of the crumb mixture into each buttered cake pan. Spread and press the crumbs down lightly in an even thick layer covering the bottom of the pan.
Step 5
Bake for about 25 minutes or more, until the cookie rounds are nicely browned and starting to shrink from the side ring of the pan. Let them cool, then remove the springform side rings and bottom disk.
Step 6
To serve, set the fregolotta in front of your guests on the table, with one of the reserved whole almonds underneath it. Smack the fregolotta in the center with the back of a spoon.
Step 7
Serve as garnish with poached fruits or ice cream, or enjoy a crunchy piece all by itself with a cup of espresso. The leftovers are great for breakfast with caffè latte.
