Fregolotta, an Italian Shortbread Tart

Think of this tart as a giant cookie made with a simple shortbread dough that is used for both the crust and the strudel topping . It is made in no time,  and perfect for the beginning baker. ​

I am having a real problem with time lately—it is simply going by too fast. Summer has gone  and fall is here. Another year has just gone flying by. Twenty years ago, which feels like yesterday, my husband and I had a wonderful time visiting Venice and the Veneto. It was such a fun trip. We drove with friends from Munich to Venice, where we stayed for several days. It was  February, between Carnival and spring and Venice was not overrun with tourists. After Venice, our friends dropped us off in the Veneto and continued on their trip to Switzerland, while we stayed there and enjoyed this beautiful area without many tourists. We took the train to the Cinque Terre and hiked through all the villages. It was wonderful. We had no reservations until we got to Florence. What I remember most about this trip was hanging out with the locals and hiking until we got tired. I remember on one of these hikes, we ran into an older Italian man resting under a tree on a Sunday morning, drinking wine and pointing at our water bottle. He was shaking his head and saying, “agua bad, vino good.”

This year, I was invited to a beautiful wedding of a charming couple. Although the groom is Italian (from the Veneto), he is now living in San Francisco with his American bride. Unfortunately, I couldn't go. I just hope that one day I can visit this gorgeous area again. In honor of the wedding and the Veneto, I post this wonderfully easy, yet so delicious and tasty, cake. It is really like a giant cookie that even a non-baker can do in no time. The original fregolotta was created by Pasticceria Zizzola, who lives near Treviso.  My version is a nutty, lightly sweet and crunchy cake tasting like a cookie. Trust me, you will nibble on this delicious morsel until it is gone. There are seldom any leftovers when I make it for my friends. It is great with an espresso coffee or tea. Buon appetito my friends.

I added fresh blueberries when I made this cake, but I think frozen blueberries will do just fine. You can use different jams or nuts, just make sure the jam is not too sweet. ​

Print Recipe

Ingredients:


10 to 11-inch round tart form pan with a removable bottom
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1½ sticks softened butter (3/4 cup ) 
1/3 cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp almond extract
1 tsp lemon zest
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup blackberry or blueberry marmalade
1 cup of blueberries 
1/3 cup sliced toasted almonds

Directions:

Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixture until pale and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Beat in  the salt, lemon zest, and almond extract. Add the flour until just combined, and don’t over mix. Reserve ½ cup of the dough and freeze for about 15 minutes. Press the rest of the dough onto the tart bottom and up the side of the tart pan with floured fingers. Chill the tart for 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit.

Spread marmalade over the bottom of the tart shell. Sprinkle the blueberries over the marmalade. Crumble the near-frozen ½ cup dough in a bowl, mix with the almonds and sprinkle over the tart. Sprinkle the top of the tart with raw sugar and bake in middle of the oven for 45-50 minutes. 

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Recipe  from Mille’s Bistro in Toronto printed and adapted in Sunset Magazine
​adapted by © Sunnycovechef.com