Fregolotta Italian Crumb Cookie Recipes

FREGOLATA: CRUMB COOKIE (ITALY)

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment.
• Pulse the nuts in a food processor to finely chop, allowing some larger pieces of nuts to remain. In a large bowl, combine butter, almonds, flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with 1 tablespoon of the milk. Add the extract. Drizzle yolk mixture over almond mixture and toss with fingers to combine and get everything moistened. (If needed add up to 1 more tablespoon of milk.) Mixture should still be crumbly, but not dry, like a crisp topping.
• Sprinkle 1 cup (about half of the crumbs) on the prepared baking sheet and press lightly to create a thin, even 8-inch round. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over the top to give the cookie some texture. Bake until golden brown and crisp, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking, about 30 minutes. For an extra crispy cookie, turn oven off at this point and let the pan rest in oven for 10 minutes.
• Cool on a rack until easy to handle. Slip the fregolata on the paper onto a rack to cool completely. When cool, sift confectioners' sugar over top.
• To serve, place a whole almond or overturned demitasse spoon under the center of the fregolata and rap the top with a spoon or the side of a knife to crack into serving pieces.

FREGOLOTTA, ITALIAN CRUMB COOKIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Place the almonds, cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse together just until most of the almonds are finely chopped while leaving some coarsely chopped.
• Add the cold butter and pulse for a few seconds until combined.
• In a small bowl whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla and almond extracts and almond milk.
• Drizzle the egg yolk mixture over the almond and flour mixture.
• Pulse together just until the mixture has moistened and formed crumbs. (a few seconds)
• The mixture should look crumbly and moist, much like a crisp topping.
• Divide the mixture in half.
• Drop half the mixture by the teaspoonfuls, onto the prepared baking sheet and press the mixture lightly down to create a thin 8 inch round circle.
• Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips and the cranberries over the first layer.
• Repeat with the remaining mixture, drooping the crumbs by the teaspoonful over the chocolate chips and cranberries, distributing them evenly.
• Bake in preheated oven on the middle rack for 25 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.
• Remove from oven and let the cookie rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes so that the cookie firms up.
• When easy to handle, transfer the cookie to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
• Once cooled, sift the icing sugar over the fregolotta.
• When ready to serve place a few whole almonds underneath the middle of the cookie and smack the fregolotta in the center with the back of a wooden spoon.
• The cookie will crumble in several pieces and will then be ready to be devoured.

FREGOLATA, AN ITALIAN CRUMB COOKIE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment.
• Pulse the nuts in a food processor to finely chop, allowing some larger pieces of nuts to remain.
• In a large bowl, combine butter, almonds, flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with 1 tablespoon of the milk.
• Add the extract.
• Drizzle yolk mixture over almond mixture and toss with fingers to combine and get everything moistened (If needed add up to 1 more tablespoon of milk).
• Mixture should still be crumbly, but not dry, like a crisp topping.
• Sprinkle 1 cup (about half of the crumbs) on the prepared baking sheet and press lightly to create a thin, even 8-inch round.
• Sprinkle remaining crumbs over the top to give the cookie some texture. Bake until golden brown and crisp, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking, about 30 minutes.
• For an extra crispy cookie, turn oven off at this point and let the pan rest in oven for 10 minutes.
• Cool on a rack until easy to handle.
• Slip the fregolata on the paper onto a rack to cool completely.
• When cool, sift confectioners' sugar over top.
• TO SERVE:.
• place a whole almond or overturned demitasse spoon under the center of the fregolata and rap the top with a spoon or the side of a knife to crack into serving pieces.
• BAKERS TIP:
• Dough can be frozen on cookie sheet for up to 1 week and baked from the freezer (for an extra 5 to 10 minutes). Store baked cookie in an airtight container or on a baking sheet wrapped with plastic wrap for up to 1 week. Baked cookie can be wrapped in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and frozen for up to 2 weeks.

TORTA FREGOLOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 by 15-inch baking sheet and set aside. In a large bowl, toss together the almonds, cornmeal, sugar, and cake flour. Make a well in the center of these dry ingredients and add the egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon and orange zests. Use a fork to incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. With your hands, rub the butter into the dry mixture to form a crumbly dough. Shake the dough out onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading to distribute it evenly. Pat it down. Bake until golden brown and firm, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool, and serve. Or break into small pieces and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

FREGOLATA: CRUMB COOKIE (ITALY)

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment. Pulse the nuts in a food processor to finely chop, allowing some larger pieces of nuts to remain. In a large bowl, combine butter, almonds, flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with 1 tablespoon of the milk. Add the extract. Drizzle yolk mixture over almond mixture and toss with fingers to combine and get everything moistened. (If needed add up to 1 more tablespoon of milk.) Mixture should still be crumbly, but not dry, like a crisp topping. Sprinkle 1 cup (about half of the crumbs) on the prepared baking sheet and press lightly to create a thin, even 8-inch round. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over the top to give the cookie some texture. Bake until golden brown and crisp, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking, about 30 minutes. For an extra crispy cookie, turn oven off at this point and let the pan rest in oven for 10 minutes. Cool on a rack until easy to handle. Slip the fregolata on the paper onto a rack to cool completely. When cool, sift confectioners' sugar over top. To serve, place a whole almond or overturned demitasse spoon under the center of the fregolata and rap the top with a spoon or the side of a knife to crack into serving pieces. Busy baker's tips: Dough can be frozen on cookie sheet for up to 1 week and baked from the freezer (for an extra 5 to 10 minutes). Store baked cookie in an airtight container or on a baking sheet wrapped with plastic wrap for up to 1 week. Baked cookie can be wrapped in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and frozen for up to 2 weeks. Copyright 2007 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

GRILLED APRICOTS WITH ALMOND CREAM AND FREGOLOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown and fragrant, 6-8 minutes. Let cool; pulse in a food processor until mostly finely ground but there are still bits of almond.
• Mix almonds, flour, sugar, cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl, then add butter and vanilla and almond extracts and work in with your fingers or the handle of a sturdy wooden spoon. Scatter crumble, trying not to break it up too much, on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Let cool.
• Prepare a grill for medium heat. Brush the cut side of each apricot half with oil and grill apricots, cut side down, until lightly charred and juices start to seep out of fruit, 6-8 minutes. Using a metal spatula, carefully turn apricots and grill a minute or so until the other side is lightly charred. Transfer to a plate.
• Using an electric mixer, beat cream in a medium bowl until medium peaks form. Fold in almond extract, if using.
• Divide warm apricots among plates. Spoon some whipped cream on top. Drizzle with honey and scatter fregolotta crumble over.