Step 1

On a cutting board, chop the almonds coarsely with a knife. Keep about 6-8 whole for decoration. Set aside.

Step 2

Pour the "00" flour and cornmeal into a large bowl.

Step 3

Add the chopped almonds. Then add the sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Finally, mix the ingredients so that all the dried ingredients are well combined.

Step 4

Add the grated zest of one medium organic lemon and the egg yolk.

Step 5

Add the cold butter. It's best to use your hands at this step to better knead all the ingredients together.

Step 6

Start crumbling with your hands to create a coarse crumbly dough. You should get a dough that is NOT compact but crumbles easily.

Step 7

Let's put the dough in a 20 cm (8 inch) baking pan with the bottom lined with baking paper. Spread it out evenly, leveling it a bit but not compacting it too much.

Step 8

Decorate the top with a handful of whole almonds and a tablespoon of sugar.

Step 9

Bake in a preheated, ventilated oven at 180°C (356°F) for about 35-40 minutes. The cake should be nicely browned.

Step 10

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.

Step 11

Transfer the Sbrisolona cake to a serving plate and serve by breaking it with your hands, as is the Mantuan tradition!