Here on the last day of January, there's still just enough time to squeeze in making an Italian dessert traditionally prepared for the holidays but enjoyed year round -- Parrozzo d'Abruzzo. This chocolate glazed, citrus flavored, dome-shaped almond cake is typically Italian in that it's denser than cakes normally are in the US and is not overly sweet. It offers a delicious conclusion to a winter meal or can be a lovely snack to be devoured in front of a warm fire.
I chose this dessert as a fitting start to the new year because it's the first dish I've attempted to recreate based on a collection of recipes from the Abruzzo region, my family's Italian home base. And because its author was a woman from the very commune of Giulianova from which we hail.
The collection itself, entitled "Le Ricette della Nonna", poses quite a challenge. Assembled in the 1980's by a cousin, its 200 plus recipes, all handwritten in Italian, were contributed by home cooks and reflect the culinary prowess of villagers across that region. Characteristically, nearly all the "recipes" give only hints of ingredients, quantities or instruction, assuming that the reader knows these things from personal experience. Creating detailed recipes from these will be the focus of my project.
I took on the challenge of cooking my way through this collection with the aim of making the stories of these women, their villages and these dishes come alive for an American audience a generation after the fact. This project would not be possible without the able translations of Romeo Sabatino, a fellow Abruzzo-Moplise Heritage Society member and a published cookbook author himself.
Parrozzo d'Abruzzo was invented in 1920 by Luigi D'Amico, a baker in the town of Pescara. He was inspired by a rustic corn bread called pane rozzo which was made by local farmers with corn flour, usually semolina, and egg yolks to create a yellow colored dough. The dark chocolate topping is intended to remind us of the bread's dark/burnt surface. Characteristically, it is made in a domed shape but also can be baked in a single layered fashion in a spring form pan. This delicious, decadent cake will impress guests whenever it's served.
I hope you will stay tuned for upcoming posts about similar recipe recreations as I pursue this 2022 project and meanwhile -- enjoy!
Parrozzo d'Abruzzo
Ingredients
6 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
5 tbs butter, melted & at room temperature
1/2 cup cake flour (generous)
1/2 cup almond flour (generous)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds (use of food processor is helpful)
1 tsp almond or vanilla extract
1/4 cup Grand Marnier or orange liquor
Grated zest of one orange plus juice
For glaze, use 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate melted in double boiler, 2 tbs butter, 1/4 cup sugar or to taste
Preparation
Preheat oven to 300 degrees and butter a 9 in spring-form pan or ovenproof bowl.
For the cake batter, beat the egg yolks with the sugar and then beat in the melted/cooled butter. Beat in flour, salt, baking powder and chopped almonds. Add liquids and orange zest. Fold in egg whites that have been beaten to meringue like peaks. Cake batter can be prepared either for a dome-like shape in the bowl or in a flat pan where the top has been smoothed. Bake 40-50 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan. Remove cake from pan, turning over for the dome if using that preparation.
For glaze, melt chocolate over a double boiler then whisk in butter and sugar. Pour the slightly cooled glaze over the cake, spreading evenly with a spatula. Serve at room temperature.
