Christmas Parrozzo Abruzzese
XMAS ALMONDS and POLENTA cake - PARROZZO ABRUZZESE
Half of you probably never heard the word Parrozzo before and the other half is still wondering if it is a bad word in Italian or a dish!
The name of this rustic almond and semolina cake covered with dark chocolate is attributed to the fact that it is inspired by the rustic bread prepared in the Abruzzese household back in the days, in fact in the local dialect was called PANE ROZZO (rustic bread), that overtime became PARROZZO.
Even in Italy, outside of Abruzzo many people would not know what a Parozzo is and that is a shame. If you ask me this is due to the fact that Parrozzo is a traditional Xmas cake and it is often over shadowed by the most notorious Panettone and Pandoro.
Chef’s tip: When it comes to the Parrozzo, moisture is the most important thing and choosing the right tin to bake the cake in is crucial. A flat tin will make for a drier Parrozzo, but a stainless steel deep bowl will do the job just fine.
Serves: 1 cake for 8 to 12 // Prep time: 30 minutes // Cooking time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
6 Egg yolks
200 g of sugar
150 g of polenta flour (or semolina)
60 ml of Amaretto liqueur (or a few drops of almond extract)
1 Lemon
60 ml of extra virgin olive oil
6 egg whites whipped
200 g of grounded almonds with skin on
Butter and flour for the mould.
For the outer chocolate
350 g of dark chocolate
25 g of unsalted butter
Method
Whip the egg whites with an electric whisk until foamy and firm.
Using and electric whisk whip the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and fluffy. Now gradually add to the egg yolks mixture the lemon zest, grounded almonds, olive oil, liqueur and polenta flour and incorporate gently. Lastly fold in gently with a spatula the whipped egg whites and try to keep as fluffy as possible. The mixture will be a bit grainy but that is normal.
Grease with butter a 18cm round stainless-steel bowl to use as half sphere cake tin and dust it with a little flour. Now pour the cake mixture in the bowl and bake at 160 degrees for about 50/55 minutes. When cook the Parrozzo will be well golden on the surface and firm in consistency. Remember to always test your cake with a wooden skewer for a piece of mind, If the skewer come out clean it means it Is cooked, if the skewer is wet and with pieces of cake stacked to it, the cake likely needs a few more minutes.
Let the Parrozzo cool for 15 minutes and carefully remove it from the mold. Place the Cake upside down on a rack with a baking tray underneath and melt the chocolate and butter slowly either on bain-marie or in the microwave. When the chocolate is melted pour it on top of the cake all in one go making sure no areas are left uncovered. If necessary you can collect the chocolate drained on the baking tray, melt it again and repeat the operation for extra coating.
Let it cool and set for 1 hour and enjoy it sliced! You store the Parrozzo in a sealed bag or container for up to a week.